Abu Dhabi Launches “Protect Your Health with Vaccination” Programme

The campaign is launched in collaboration with GSK, Pfizer, Sanofi and MSD pharmaceutical companies, targets the population of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi at Large and focuses on five target groups, Childhood vaccines, School vaccines, Adult vaccines, Hajj and Omra vaccines and travelers’ vaccines.

The Emirate wide campaign aims to increase public awareness on the importance of vaccination to prevent several infectious diseases such as: TB, hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, pneumococcal, measles, mumps, polio and chickenpox and will continue throughout the year 2012 through different planned activities.

According to National statistics, by the Ministry of Health there is a significant reduction on vaccine preventable diseases cases since the start of the National Immunization program in 1980 to vaccinate children below 2 years. From 1980 to 2010 statistics showed decrease on the cases between the periods 1980 to 2010; Polio cases from 37 to 0 cases, Measles cases from 2820 to 87 cases, Mumps cases from 2701 to 396 cases, and Pertussis 170 to 79 cases.

Dr. Farida Al Hosani, Manager, Communicable Diseases Department at HADD said: “vaccines are the most rapid strategy to eliminate communicable diseases, and this was proved by elimination of polio in the UAE and control of several childhood illnesses. It is important for the public to know available vaccines, and ask their doctors if they need to take any specific vaccines. HAAD is continuously improving vaccination programs to add new vaccines and include different target groups.”

HAAD campaign activities will include training of health care professionals on the latest updates about vaccination and the best practices, distributing educational materials and video on vaccination programs in public and private healthcare facilities and establishing Short Message System (SMS) reminders.

Dr. Badreyya Al Shehhi, Senior Officer Vaccines, Communicable Disease Department at HAAD said: We launched an SMS reminder system to remind parents five days before their child’s vaccination date. This initiative is meant to enhance vaccination coverage, and raise parents’ awareness on the importance of taking their children to complete the series of childhood vaccines.”

All campaign material and tools are available for the parents, adults, healthcare professionals to download from www.haad.ae/vaccine.