Vaccines to keep her smiling

Gabriela waves nurse Carmen goodbye with a smile on her face. When she turned 1 year old, she was given the MMR vaccine (against measles, mumps and rubella). : “She is stronger than the shot”, her mom says.

Gabriela plays, pronounces short words, and moves her shoulders restlessly, imitating a dance she has learned at home. During her first year of life, Gabriela has been vaccinated against 13 childhood diseases. There is an affectionate relationship between the nurses at the vaccination centre and each baby.

The monitoring of possible adverse events starts with active observation for an hour after the vaccine has been applied in the polyclinic and continues for a period of 15 days in the community doctor’s office, in order to identify any possible reaction early. 

Like in every vaccination centre across the country, nurse Carmen knows how many children there are in her area. Sitting in her office, the first one to the right at the polyclinic “Docente Universitario 19 de Abril”, she sees pregnant women and babies, and writes down their names, dates and the procedure to be followed in each case. She also makes home visits to monitor the health of the children in her municipality.

 “Doctors and nurses take interest in the health of babies, in knowing whether they have been vaccinated. If we forget to take the children, they come and visit. Cuba has a public health system that looks after its children.  I urge parents to pay attention to the vaccines their babies need in order to grow up strong and healthy. Vaccines do work”, says Gabriela’s mother Idania Gonzalez (32).

The MMR vaccine is administered subcutaneously to the right arm once children turn 1 year old, describes Carmen, who has taken several training courses, as she explains to the family the importance of eradicating vaccine-preventable diseases. “Vaccination in Cuba is a priority. And there is strict compliance with cold-chain requirements to preserve vaccines in the health areas”, she adds.

Meanwhile, Gabriela’s mom feels grateful for the vaccine administered to her daughter, inoculating her against preventable diseases that can affect children. 

Information about vaccination in Cuba

• UNICEF Cuba supports the efforts of the Cuban Ministry of Health’s National Immunization Programme to eliminate and control vaccine-preventable diseases.

• Since the 2000s, UNICEF has supported the National Immunization Programme through the procurement of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine doses that are not produced in the country and are included in the national vaccination scheme.

• In 2019, UNICEF Cuba, with the support of IBERIA/Amadeus and the accompaniment of the Spanish Committee, acquired MMR vaccine doses that reached 77,900 children, 67 % of girls and children under 1 in Cuba. In 2018, this contribution reached 95,000 children, 80% of children under 1 in Cuba.

• At this time of social distancing, it is paramount to keep good hygiene practices and to pay attention to your children’s vaccine schedule to protect them from viral and bacterial infections that can be prevented through vaccination. #VaccinesWork