Rock City OTP Juba South Sudan. A baby recieves her vaccinations. (Photo: UNICEF South Sudan).

JUBA, (Eye Radio) – UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO) and the national Ministry of Health are encouraging parents and guardians to take their children for vaccination, assuring them that vaccines are safe and effective in saving lives.

Aping Kuluel – UNICEF Social and Behavior Change Officer – stated that parents and caretakers should be aware of the importance of vaccinating their children on time.

He said failure to immunize children will expose them to dangerous diseases and leave a long-term burden on the family.

“We urge all the communities to make sure that as they understand that immunization so important, they need to make sure that they don’t miss this opportunity,” Kuluel s

aid on Eye Radio’s Dawn Show.

“Sometimes you see a child can just miss because the mother or the farther does not know the importance of why that child need to be vaccinated, and if, unfortunately, that child get infected, that is going to be a big burden to the family, the community, and even to the country.”

“So as we are speaking about immunization week, there is also a program integrated into immunization week which is measles follow up campaign targeting 6 month to 59 month, it will happen across the country, depending on the readiness of each county, each state, each community in terms of doing this vaccination.”

The national immunization program has introduced additional vaccines this year to protect children from measles, pneumonia and diarrhea, as the country marks African Vaccination Week.

The new vaccines introduced with the support of WHO, UNICEF and global Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) are PCV, the Rotavirus vaccine, and the second dose of Measles-Containing Vaccine MCV2.

Dr Eric RURANGWA, the WHO Immunization Hub Coordinator, cautioned the public against misinformation and disinformation around immunization.

He said people should seek clarifications or questions from experts for vaccination. Eric added appealed to parents to take their children for vaccination.

“The vaccines are available at the health facilities and the healthcare workers are trained to give this vaccines safely vaccines to children. We request the mothers to bring their children to health facilities to get vaccinated before the two years of life, because this protect and we have the immunity for the communities.”

“Also the second one is to avoid the misinformation about the vaccines, because the vaccines are safe and we have to avoid the misinterpretation and misinformation, infodemics around the vaccines, and if you have any question, there are experts for vaccination, ministry of health and partners are there for advice.”

On his part, George Legge, the Director of Expanded Programme on Immunization at the national ministry of health reaffirmed that “it is very important” for parents to take their children for immunization.

“The vaccines are effective and it is very important for mothers and fathers to bring their children for vaccination. We are going to a one-week campaign on immunization, make sure your child receives measles vaccine.”

“If you go to the house make sure you ask, has this child been vaccinated? Do your part and make sure the children are vaccinated and this vaccine is safe and effective.”