Booster vaccination for 30 disabled children

In an effort to provide protection against communicable diseases, and to emphasize the importance of immunization, over 30 children with disabilities received booster vaccination on Friday January 27, at the Stimulation Plus Early Childhood Development Centre (STIM-PLUS) in Rockfort, East Kingston.

The vaccination exercise was carried out by Public Health Nurses from the nearby Norman Gardens Health Department. Approximately 105 students are enrolled at the Government-owned basic school for children with disabilities, which is managed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security through its Early Stimulation Programme (ESP).

According to Antonica Gunter-Gayle, Executive Director of ESP, a check was done to ascertain the children’s immunization status and it was found that the records of 38 students were not up to date.

“For one reason or another, most of these children had not received either the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), Diphtheria Pertuissis Tetarus (DPT) or Mumps Measles Rubella (MMR) vaccines,” she explained. “These boosters have now been administered, with their parents’ consent.”
Mrs. Gunter-Gayle pointed out that the booster shots are very important in order to prevent communicable diseases in childhood and even during adult life. She explained that the Government, through its health clinics and hospitals islandwide, provides 10 of these preventable vaccines to children.
“Therefore, all children ought to be adequately immunized by the time they are ready to enter early childhood institutions or primary schools,” Mrs. Gunter-Gayle stated.

The ESP fosters the development of children from birth to six years with varying levels of disabilities including cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, autism and other physical and mental challenges.