Dominica Observes Vaccination Week 2018

Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Leticia Lestrade Wyke says although there has been a positive culture surrounding vaccination in Dominica, declining coverage in some parts of the country has been linked to the unwillingness or hesitancy of a few persons to be vaccinated for various reasons.

This was worsened she says in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria when the country lost all the vaccines which were in stock.

In her address to mark immunization week PS Wyke says consequently there was a decline in the coverage since there were no vaccines available on island. However the Ministry of Health and Social Services, with the assistance of PAHO, has replaced the vaccines lost and the children have begun receiving their required doses of vaccines.

Meanwhile the ministry of health is calling on the Dominican public to make health a priority as they do not know what could befall them during the rest of the active part of the year.

Senior community health nurse with responsibility for immunization Nurse Florentine Lewis is calling on the general public to ensure their children including themselves are vaccinated before traveling so as to protect again some of the diseases that can be transmitted from human to human and others that are airborne

Her call comes as part of activities to observe vaccination week 2018 under the theme: Strengthening your defense, get vaccinated, Vaccine works.

She says this slogan uses the strengthening of a SOCAS Team defense as a metaphor for strengthening one defenses against diseases preventable through vaccines.

Lewis says a series of activities have been planned locally in observance of vaccination week, among them a football match this weekend in Stockfarm.

Senior community health nurse with responsibility for immunization Nurse Florentine Lewis

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Health will deliver a full address immediately after the lunch time news to mark immunization week.