FROM April 23 to 30, 2022, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), together with Guyana and territories of the Region of the Americas and its partners, observed the 20th annual Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA) under the call to action “Are you fully vaccinated? #GetAllYourShots.”

Vaccination Week in the Americas aims to highlight the collective action needed and to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against Vaccine- Preventable Diseases.
The Pepperpot Magazine spoke with Medex Carleen Howard Mohabir, Senior Health Visitor (Ag) Region Four, Georgetown Regional Health Services, Ministry of Health.

Mohabir explained the difference between Vaccination and Immunisation during her interview with the Pepperpot Magazine.

“Vaccination is the drug (weak pathogen/ inactivated viruses) that is administered to a person to prevent the onset of a disease, whereas immunisation is the body’s ability to generate an immune response naturally or through vaccines. These methods build immunity or resistance towards a particular disease. The major difference between vaccination and immunisation is that a vaccine is administered to people to create immunity from that disease. For example, before the polio vaccine is administered, the infant does not have immunity to the disease and has a high risk of contracting that disease. Therefore, a vaccination builds up resistance (immunity) to a disease,” she explained. “In essence, vaccination and immunisation go hand in hand. Immunity to disease can occur naturally or be induced by artificial means. For instance, once you contract Chicken Pox, it is very rare for the same person to contract the disease again because they build up immunity to the disease.”

Mohabir further explained that vaccination is critical since it saves lives.
According to Mohabir, the World Health Organization (WHO, 2020), vaccination has prevented approximately 2 to 3 million deaths annually. Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), Pertussis (whooping cough), Haemophilus Influenzae type B (Hib), Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Poliomyelitis, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Yellow Fever are examples of some vaccines that are available in our Public Health system.

The practice of vaccination has brought about the decline and the eradication of some diseases such as smallpox, measles, yellow fever, where the complications of these diseases have devastating sequels and have led to death (Casey, 2016; Vanderslott and Dadonaite, 2013).

Mohabir further revealed in her interview that from the existence of vaccination, it is evident that the under-five-years children continue to have good health and along with the survival rate being increased.
It was noted that among the benefits of vaccination is the cost-saving as the chances of the children getting sick from vaccine-preventable diseases will be lowered and hospital visits will be less frequent.

She added that it allows for maximum productivity and development of children and parents, as lost time from work and educational facilities will be avoided.
In examining further the importance of vaccinations, Mohabir made mention of the fact that vaccinations can provide protection not just for the vaccinated person, but for the population as a whole as well. This phenomenon, called community immunity or herd immunity, occurs when a large portion of the population is vaccinated, usually over 85 percent, depending on the disease.

But one must wonder about the importance of vaccination and why it is so important to us as human beings, since it is a point of discussion on so many fronts.

Why is vaccination so important to us as humans?
Mohabir contended during her interview that they are several key factors regarding the reasons for immunisation;
1. Immunisation saves lives: more than 3 million lives worldwide each year, and it saves millions more from suffering illness and life-long disability
2. Vaccine-preventable diseases still pose a risk to members;
3. Diseases can be controlled and eliminated;
4. Immunisation is cost-effective as compared to treating
5. Children depend on health systems to provide safe, effective and inexpensive immunisation;
6. Every child needs to be vaccinated
Mohabir made mention of the fact that they are benefits for individuals, the community and the world at large regarding vaccination. Firstly, Vaccines will help keep you healthy
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) recommends vaccinations throughout your life to protect against many infections.
“When you skip vaccines, you leave yourself vulnerable to illnesses such as shingles, pneumococcal disease, flu, and HPV and hepatitis B, both leading causes of cancer. Secondly, vaccines are as important to your overall health as diet and exercise. Vaccines are one of the most convenient and safest preventive care measures available. Like eating healthy foods, exercising, and getting regular check-ups, vaccines play a vital role in keeping you healthy,” she said.
Vaccination can mean the difference between life and death

Vaccine-preventable infections can be deadly.
Every year in the US, before the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 50,000 adults died from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Infants and older adults are at increased risk for serious infections and complications, but vaccine-preventable diseases can strike anyone. If you are young and healthy, getting vaccinated can help you stay that way. Adults are the most common source of pertussis (whooping cough) infection in infants which can be deadly for babies. When you get vaccinated you are protecting yourself and your family, as well as those in your community who may not be able to be vaccinated.  Your family and co-workers need you.

Each year, in the US, millions of adults get sick from vaccine-preventable diseases, causing them to miss work and leaving them unable to care for those who depend on them, including their children and/or aging parents,” Mohabir mentioned in her interview with the magazine.

Disadvantages and the Risks involved in not being Vaccinated
Mohabir discussed the risks and disadvantages involved in not being vaccinated.

“Anyone that [sic] chooses not to be vaccinated puts themselves, family members, community members and the entire country at risk of developing vaccine-preventable diseases. This means that they are susceptible to get the disease easier. This can cause morbidity and or mortality. Most importantly, financial implications on the health system,” Mohabir told the Pepperpot Magazine.
Erasing the Skepticism and Fears being Vaccination

The Regional Health Visitor ( Ag) noted during her interview that as once-common diseases become less frequent, fear of the diseases themselves tend to become overshadowed by vaccine-safety concerns, sometimes fuelled by misinformation about vaccination, says the WHO.

She added that according to the CDCP, most side effects of vaccines are minor and temporary, and the relative rate of serious side effects or deaths is extremely low. One thing to keep in mind, is that the risk of getting diseases such as diphtheria or tetanus is much greater (one out of five cases of tetanus is fatal, for instance) than any risk of side effects from vaccines.

According to her, CDC highlighted some misconceptions about vaccination :
“Diseases were already disappearing before vaccines because of better hygiene and sanitation.” This misconception is often cited as an argument against vaccination. Survival rates had been getting better before the introduction of vaccines, but dramatic decreases in the number of cases were seen only after the introduction of vaccines.

“The majority of people who get diseases have been vaccinated.” In fact, no vaccine is 100% effective, and indeed some vaccinated people will not develop immunity (vaccine effectiveness is usually 85 to 95%). When there is an outbreak of a disease, the people who are affected will be those who have not been vaccinated, and those who were, but did not develop immunity. In populations where the vast majority of people have been vaccinated, there are people who are vaccinated but not immune, than people who are not vaccinated.

“The diseases that are preventable with vaccines have been virtually eliminated, and so there is no need for children to be vaccinated anymore.” Vaccination protects not only the person who is getting vaccinated, but also the people around him, more specifically, those people who are the most vulnerable. If vaccination stops, then any outbreak could become devastating.

“Multiple vaccinations at an early age is taxing for a young child’s immune system and can be harmful.” Children are exposed to germs every day, and the immune system handles them without getting overloaded. Available scientific data show that there is no harm for the immune system of young children.

According to the Health Visitor,the Guyana Expanded Programme on Immunisation over the last decade has had tremendous achievements in the inclusion of seventeen (17) antigens in the programme.
The goal of this initiative is zero cases of vaccine- preventable diseases. Guyana EPI is a success story with over 90% immunisation coverage at the national level for the last five (5) years. In July 2014, an Effective Vaccine Management (EVM) Assessment was conducted and Guyana ranked third out of Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) eligible countries. (EPI Manual, 2016)

Determining the Authenticity of Vaccines
It was noted that vaccines go through a series of testing that has different phases before being given to the people, after which it is approved by international regulatory bodies.
Thus, the response from members of the public has been welcoming toward our vaccination outreaches/drives, by the Ministry of Health Vaccination Outreach Programme, as we make all vaccines available at extended hours to accommodate the working public.