Healthcare professionals welcome the move to achieve greater nationwide child immunisation rate
The UAE’s updated AlHosn app now includes vaccine records for children up to the age of 18. Doctors in the country say the government’s recent move to integrate vaccine records will significantly contribute to attaining a greater nationwide child immunisation rate. Healthcare professionals highlighted the government’s proactive adoption of cutting-edge digital technologies to engage with its community members, striving to achieve the highest levels of healthcare coverage. On Wednesday, a top official from the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) said the mandatory vaccination record aims to shield children from diseases, which, in turn, “will promote a healthier and happier country.”
Mandatory vaccines
Doctors explain the mandatory childhood vaccines as per the Department of Health (DOH) are BCG, Hepatitis B vaccine, Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus vaccine, Haemophilus influenza type B vaccine, Pneumococcal vaccine, Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine, Varicella vaccine, and Polio & Rotavirus vaccines. Healthcare professionals reiterate as schools reopen, chances of communicable diseases like measles, mumps, rubella, and influenza, among others, increase.
Maintaining records
Although hospitals maintain vaccination records, it is equally crucial for parents to keep their records, particularly if they move to different countries and this app can now come in handy. Dr Prasanna K. Shetty, Specialist Pediatrician, Burjeel Day Surgery Center, Al Reem Island, said, “While hospitals maintain immunisation records, it’s equally important for parents to keep their own records, especially if they switch locations.
“Though efforts have been made to combine vaccines to reduce the number of injections required, the immunisation schedule can still be extensive. If a child has missed a vaccine dose or is unsure of the vaccine status, receiving an extra dose of vaccine poses no harm. It’s better for a child to be vaccinated rather than not being vaccinated.”
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