Immunising your child is perhaps one of the single most important steps you as a parent can take to ensure your child grows up to be strong and healthy.

Vaccines work to safeguard your child from illnesses and death caused by infectious diseases. While newborn babies are immune to many diseases, thanks to the antibodies their mothers passed on to them, their immunity is not comprehensive — most young children are not immune to diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, tetanus, hepatitis B, or Haemophilus influenzae type b.

A vaccine will help prepare your child to fight these serious and often fatal diseases. Vaccines, given by injection or as a liquid by mouth, contain either a weakened germ or parts of the protein of a germ which will stimulate the immune system to make antibodies to fight those germs. These antibodies will then recognise the true germ should it ever try to invade the body and prevent it from causing disease.

Can be life-threatening

Dr Karin Simmank, a paediatrician in private practice, says that "Immunisation not only protects children against many potentially fatal infectious diseases, but, in the case of live vaccines it may also result in a degree of protection of unvaccinated and older people in the community". 

"We are now able to vaccinate children against 10 different diseases before the age of two years. These have all in the past been responsible for serious illness and many deaths.

"No child today should be exposed to unnecessary harm, and the death of even one child from a vaccine-preventable disease is absolutely unacceptable."

"Effective immunisation programmes have, over the past few decades, virtually eliminated the occurrence of many serious childhood diseases, but it is important to remember that many of the bacteria and viruses that cause these life-threatening diseases are still circulating, and they can make a comeback if all children are not fully vaccinated."

                                                                  Whooping cough is back

One such disease which is making resurgence is pertussis, or whooping cough, a highly contagious and potentially life-threatening disease especially in very young infants.

Pertussis causes a severe cough which can result in choking and vomiting with dehydration and poor nutrition. Other complications include pneumonia due to thick mucous plugging airways, and in severe cases, it may cause brain damage due lack of oxygen and bleeding.

In very small infants it may be difficult to diagnose because the typical 'whoop' which follows a paroxysm of coughing is usually not present. This is however a very characteristic sign in older children. In recent years, 90 percent of pertussis deaths have occurred in infants younger than four months of age, so it is important that the child is vaccinated against whooping cough as soon as possible (Pertussis vaccine can be given from 6 weeks of age).

Fortunately, Dr Ngcobo from the Department of Health, says that the government has implemented a vaccination programme which protects against pertussis and other potentially fatal diseases as early as six weeks.

The five-in-one

"This means that, after 14 weeks, your baby is immune not only to pertussis, but also diphtheria, tetanus, polio and Haemophilus influence type B (Hib). The department of health has introduced a five-in-one combination vaccine from sanofi pasteur that meets the highest safety standards and protection against 5 diseases in one single injection."

Diphtheria is a bacterium which causes a membrane to grow around the inside of the throat making it difficult to swallow and breathe. It can lead to suffocation.

Tetanus is usually a fatal disease which attacks the nervous system and interferes with the child's breathing and feeding, and polio is a virus which affects the digestive and nervous systems causing fever, vomiting and muscle weakness which can lead to permanent crippling.

Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) is a bacterium that causes 'Hib' meningitis which usually strikes children under five years of age. Meningitis is an infection of the brain and spinal cord coverings which can lead to lasting brain damage and deafness. This bacterium also causes pneumonia and a particularly bad form of croup called epiglottitis.

Parents are urged to find out more about the vaccine preventable diseases. They can do this either by talking to their nurses at their local clinics, GP or paediatrician, researching on the internet, or reading child-related magazines. Children — and adults — can be vaccinated at public health clinics, as well as at private health clinics.