In the middle of African Vaccination Week, which kicked off on Monday and ends on Sunday, South Africa's Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) encouraged the public to help prevent the spread of illness and disease through immunisation. The theme for this year’s campaign is “Vaccines work, do your part”. 

“Vaccinations provide effective protection against a number of serious illnesses such as polio, diphtheria, mumps, measles and tetanus, among others. We should all ensure that our families, children in particular, are vaccinated in line with the recommendations of the Department of Health,” said Dr Vuyo Gqola, GEMS Executive: Healthcare Management.

African Vaccination Week, which forms part of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) international effort to prevent the spread of dangerous diseases through raising awareness about the importance of vaccines, emphasises that vaccines can significantly improve the health of communities if enough people are vaccinated. 

“Personal health and community health are deeply inter-related. When people get vaccinated against a particular illness or disease, they are not only protecting themselves but are also helping to protect their communities. This is because when more people develop immunity to a particular infectious disease, the fewer opportunities for it to be passed on to other people who may be more susceptible,” said Gqola.

“The medical progress that has been made in the prevention of diseases through vaccinations is truly remarkable, and we are fortunate to live in a time when we have access to these life-saving resources. Let us not forget that measles and polio were once common conditions, which are now relatively rare thanks to vaccination programmes.” 

She pointed out that the influenza (flu) vaccine for 2018 is now available to all members and GEMS has allocated a special benefit for preventative care services that members can claim the flu vaccine from. “The influenza season has come round once again, and fortunately there is a safe and effective vaccine available that provides protection against a number of strains of the flu virus.” 

The following categories of people have a greater risk of falling seriously ill with influenza and developing complications:

• Adults 65 years and older
• Children younger than five years old, but especially children younger than two years old
• Pregnant women 
• People with underlying health conditions, including asthma, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among others 
• People with weakened immune systems, including people living with HIV or those taking medicines that suppress immune function.