Health Authority – Abu Dhabi: Vaccination reduces the Spread of Communicable Diseases

Dr Farida Al Hosani, Director of the Communicable Diseases Department at HAAD said: “With the belief that prevention is better than cure, we continue to drive our vision for a healthier Abu Dhabi by ensuring the availability of essential vaccines.”

Al Hosani added: "There are some common myths which declare vaccinations as ‘unsafe’. We believe this generates a fear among parents, leading them to refuse administering the necessary vaccines for their children. We would like to emphasize that the available vaccines are safe, effective, and subjected to the highest quality standards. We’d like to reaffirm that these vaccines contribute to the prevention of various communicable diseases and help to maintain a safe society free from disease.”

According to the 2015 Communicable Diseases Bulletin issued by HAAD, the e-notifications related to influenza increased in Q1 and Q4 2015, which coincided with the seasonal flu. Many communicable diseases saw a drop - such as rotavirus where cases decreased by 50% in Q4 of 2015 comparing with Q1 of the same year. It is worth mentioning that HAAD added rotavirus vaccine in 2013 which contributes in reducing the cases of having rotavirus.

In collaboration with Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) and Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), HAAD carried out several vaccination campaigns as part of the School Vaccination Program during the academic year 2014-2015 for students from grades 1 to 11. The program confirmed that 95% of students have been administered the MMR and varicella vaccine, 94% have benefited from the polio vaccine, while 91% of female students have been vaccinated against Human Papillomavirus (HPV), the virus causing cervical cancer.

HAAD’s efforts have coincided with World Immunization Week (April 24-30) and as part of its annual campaign on vaccination program, “Vaccination is Essential” which HAAD launched in May 2012. For more information, please visit: www.haad.ae/vaccine.