Dubai: The chickenpox vaccination has been made compulsory for schoolchildren by the National Immunisation Programme with immediate effect, according to a senior health policymaker.
The vaccinations will be given as soon as they are imported and will be made available to school health clinics, according to Dr Mahmoud Fikri, executive director for Health Policies at the Ministry of Health.
He told Gulf News this vaccination was earlier optional and was left to the discretion of local authorities. But now it is mandatory, he said. A press release from the ministry notes that this move is because of instructions from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The director said the vaccination will be available in the market by the third quarter of this year and the ministry will organise workshops on its usage in coordination with experts from WHO.
Dr Ram Shukla, an expert on infectious diseases, said in most countries the chickenpox vaccination is not compulsory.
Vulnerability
But he noted that people come to the UAE from various countries, and in crowded areas like labour accommodations, chicken pox would be prevalent, especially at the onset of summer.
He said it is usually better to get chickenpox during childhood as you then develop immunity. "If you have it later in life, then there could be some complications," he said.
Chickenpox is common among children under 12 years of age. Itchy rashes appear that look like blisters all over the body and it is also accompanied by flu-like symptoms. The symptoms usually go away without treatment but as it is highly infectious, the child has to stay home until the symptoms have gone.
This is the second vaccination to be approved by the National Immunisation Programme.
The first was a vaccination against cerebral and pulmonary infections in newborn children, caused by coliform bacteria.
Additional jabs
The ministry notes that the committee proposed the addition of the hexagon vaccination and that it should be given two months from birth.
The committee is also examining prevention procedures against cervical cancer, the release said.
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