Immunisation is one of the greatest medical achievements in human history and has saved millions of lives in the previous century. Before immunisation, hundreds of thousands of children and adults were infected and thousands died each year from diseases such as polio, measles and meningitis.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), immunisation currently saves an estimated three million lives per year. Pertussis vaccine saves over 600 000 lives. Diphtheria has almost disappeared in some major regions of the world. Hib-related infections in children are said to have almost disappeared, within 10 years of immunisation. Hepatitis B immunisation has caused a significant drop in the incidence of hepatocelullar carcinoma (liver cancer).
What is immunisation?
Immunisation is the production of immunity to disease by artificial means. Injection of an antiserum will produce temporary passive immunity (as for bee stings or snake bites), while active immunity is produced by making the body generate its own antibodies. This is done by the use of treated antigens (vaccination or inoculation). Vaccination is used for immunisation and it may be derived from live bacteria or viruses or dead organisms or their products.
Many serious childhood diseases are preventable by using vaccines routinely recommended for children. Since the introduction of these vaccines, rates of diseases such as polio, measles, hepatitis B, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and meningitis, caused by haemophilus influensae type B (Hib), have declined by 90%.
Immunisation is important to prevent the spread of diseases
Vaccination not only protects the individual, but also curbs the spread of disease within the community (i.e. provides herd immunity). For vaccines to provide herd immunity, a certain percentage of individuals within a community need to be immunised.
If immunisation coverage drops for conditions like measles, outbreaks may occur. It is important to maintain a high level of immunisation coverage even when the condition is becoming rare. For example, failure to maintain measles immunisation coverage can lead to re-emergence and outbreaks, as it happened in the United States in 1989-1991. The measles epidemic was responsible for 55,000 cases and more than 120 deaths.
Immunisation is a safety measure
Immunisation is safe and getting safer and more effective all the time as a result of medical research and ongoing review by medical scientists. Immunisation keep people healthy; however, it should be remembered that no drug is absolutely free of side effects. Similar to medicines, vaccines may also cause effects.
The number of vaccines recommended for the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) has increased; as a result children are now protected from more infectious diseases than before, including Hepatitis B and Hib.
All vaccines used in the EPI in South Africa (EPI-SA) are manufactured according to strict safety guidelines and are evaluated by the Medicines Control Council (MCC) to ensure efficacy, quality and safety before registration and approval for marketing. In addition, these vaccines meet WHO standards of quality, safety and efficacy.
Immunisation is affordable
Immunisation currently remains one of the most cost effective health interventions. In South Africa this would mean that every R10 spent on vaccines saves R70 in medical costs and R250 in overall costs.
Immunisation offers effective protection
Immunisation provides the most important and effective means through which parents can protect their children against serious diseases. Children who have not been immunised are at high risk of becoming infected with serious diseases. A recent study showed that children who had not received the measles vaccine were 35 times more likely to contract the disease. Without immunisation, the diseases we are now protected from will return in epidemic or pandemic proportions. There are no effective alternatives to immunisation for protection against some serious and sometimes deadly infectious diseases.
Availability
Most vaccines for children are available free of charge at local public clinics and community health centres of South Africa as part of the government initiative of all children’s right to basic health care. The government of South Africa currently devotes more than R80 million per year to vaccines. Only when a disease has been completely eradicated worldwide can immunisation be discontinued safely.
Our Employee Wellbeing Programme (EAP) is available 24 hours a day if you want to know more about immunisation.