School children in the country will be receiving their flu vaccines, the schedule of which will be announced soon.
The Ministry of Health's Department of School Healthcare had earlier urged parents to bring their children to the health institution on time for vaccines that they might have missed earlier.
"We administer vaccines to school children as these shots are critical to the prevention and control of infectious disease outbreak," a source at the department said, adding that "schools will be soon intimated of the dates of their vaccination".
The department also called for vaccination for children aged 24 months and above as it will reduce the risk of influenza infection and complications of influenza.
Vaccination is taking place as guided by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which considers immunisation as a global health and development success story, saving millions of lives every year.
"Vaccines reduce the risks of getting a disease by working with human body’s natural defences to build protection. When one gets a vaccine, his or her immune system responds," according to the WHO.
WHO has further mentioned that there are vaccines available to prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases, helping people of all ages live longer, healthier lives.
The report further says that immunisation is a key component of primary health care and an indisputable human right and it currently prevents 3.5-5 million deaths every year from diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza, and measles.
Last year, MoH had, under the slogan ‘Let’s get vaccination’, announced the start of seasonal flu vaccinations for target segments.
Accordingly, the target group included people with chronic diseases such as respiratory diseases and heart, kidney, liver, nervous and blood disorders or metabolism including uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, obesity and immunodeficiency in adults and children over the age of 6 months; health workers and medical students; expecting mothers; children aged 24 months; and senior citizens aged 60 years and above. Citizens and residents who are not in the targeted groups can have the vaccine from the private sector.
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