Due to health sector strikes, experts warn against delaying children’s vaccinations

Agadir24

The successive strikes witnessed by the health sector recently have confused many families regarding the vaccination dates for their children, especially newborns.

In parallel with the health workers’ strikes for three days a week, experts and specialists sounded the alarm, warning of the serious damage caused by delaying some vaccines that must be administered on time.

In response to this topic, Moulay Said Afif, a pediatrician and member of the scientific committee for vaccination once morest Covid-19, confirmed that “some vaccines should not be delayed significantly, especially the BCJ vaccine, which should be given in the first month following birth, because it protects once morest the dangerous disease of tuberculosis.”

Afif explained that “tuberculosis is still present in Morocco,” in addition to the disease called “Awiya,” noting that “if the child does not receive the vaccine, it is possible for the infection to be transmitted to him from an adult, for example,” in addition to “the diarrhea vaccine, which should not be given following six months, and a group of other vaccines that must be taken on time.”

The same doctor stressed that “vaccines cannot be delayed, especially since there is a partnership between the public and private sectors, and we can resort to the latter, which can compensate for these vaccines through insurance and health coverage.”

The same specialist gave an example in this regard of what happened during the Corona period when the coverage rate of the measles vaccine or “Bouhamroun” decreased from 97 percent to 77 percent, which produced a focus of the disease in Souss Massa, while the Ministry of Health announced
About a remedial vaccination campaign.

Continuing his talk regarding the importance of vaccines, Afif mentioned that Morocco was able, thanks to the vaccine, to reduce the mortality of children under five, as the last case of polio was in 1987, and the last case of tetanus was in 2000. Meningitis has also declined, as we do not record more than ten cases per year of this dangerous disease today.

The same doctor concluded that it is necessary to follow the vaccination schedule and not to neglect vaccinating children for any reason, to avoid them contracting many serious diseases that can be prevented by vaccines.