Dubai: The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, in collaboration with Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) and Dubai Health Authority (DHA), launched ‘World Immunisation Week’ from April 24 to 30 in coordination with the World Health Organisation.
Inaugurating the event, Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for Health Centres and Clinics, Ministry of Health and Prevention, stated that the ministry aims to raise awareness among community members about vaccination and immunisation of children against infectious diseases. He said that through various educational campaigns and events organised in all medical districts, the event will encourage parents to visit primary health-care centres in order to preserve the health of their children and protect them from infectious diseases.
Dr Al Rand said: “The immunisation week being observed is in line with the ministry’s strategic objective to develop a health-care system that protects the UAE society from communicable diseases and controls them according to the support initiative and update of vaccination programmes according to international standards. The ministry has achieved great success in the field by providing the community members with free access to basic vaccines that has a high coverage rate of up to more than 95 per cent, driven by the combined efforts at all levels of the ministry and the support of the wise leadership.”
Dr Nada Al Marzouqi, director of preventive medicine at the ministry, added that the initiative aimed to undertake intensive educational activities and lectures to eliminate the possibility of children catching serious diseases such as mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) by giving them all major vaccines. She said that not providing age-appropriate vaccinations keeps the society at risk of infection and diseases. She also pointed out that since the beginning of the National Measles campaign in November 2015, targeting children aged one to 18 has achieved remarkable success.
Dr Laila Al Jasmi, head of the vaccination department at the ministry, pointed out that the ministry aims to provide all vital vaccines free of charge under the National Immunisation Programme, which has had considerable success in eradication of diseases like polio. She advised parents on the importance of taking their children to primary health-care centres to give them the basic vaccines as per their age to raise their immunity against infectious diseases.
