Mum of four believes in protective power of immunisation
Supplementary Immunisation Activity in Papua New Guinea
Mother of four, Daine Koimbu has brought three of her four children to receive immunization services at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Nabasa, Madang Province.
Her children – Thomas, 3, Denila, 2 and baby Franky - will be vaccinated against Measles-Rubella and polio. They will also receive Vitamin A that is vital for normal vision, immunity against diseases and healthy growth and development.
“I believe immunization is crucial in safeguarding my children from diseases, and I am pleased to have brought them today,” says Daine.
The immunization services offered at the Seventh Day Adventist Church are part of a mobile clinic organized by the Madang Provincial Health Authority through the Madang Hospital Children’s Outpatient Department in support of an ongoing nationwide Supplementary Immunization Activity (SIA) for Measles-Rubella, Polio and Vitamin A.
Spearheaded by the National Department of Health in close partnership with UNICEF and WHO, this immunization campaign is critical to prevent any outbreak of measles and polio among unvaccinated children due to country’s low routine immunization coverage.
The low coverage is a serious concern for children who have not been immunized at all or those who missed their second or third dose of vaccine. They face a high risk of contracting diseases like Measles and Polio. It also means the likelihood of vaccine preventable disease outbreaks that may not only put more children at risk but also place a burden on health care services.
Daine firmly believes in the protective power of immunization and wasted no time in bringing her children for vaccination when she learned about the immunization campaign through a public service announcement in her community.
An estimated 280,000 children under 5 years in PNG are targeted in this campaign where numerous immunisation activities around the country are providing opportunities for children like Thomas, Denia and Franky to be protected against vaccine preventable diseases. All children under five years of age, regardless of previous vaccination status, will receive an additional dose of each vaccine.
The vaccination campaign is being conducted over 4 weeks between May and June 2023 across all provinces of PNG. #Immunizationsaveslives
