The plea of a newborn child
As a public health practitioner when I see a newborn child, I hear him/her talking to me, gazing at me, and making a plea. A plea to give them a Clean and Green Environment, to Nourish them with wholesome, nutritious foods. This child wants to be educated and learn to be hardworking, be kind, be respectful.
As adults, it is our responsibility to send them to school and make them learn about their health and their body and their environment. But above all, I hear a plea to Protect them through Immunization.
Because Vaccines can save lives and in most cases they do more good than harm. For in their healthy body, free from disease and disability, will rest a healthy mind.
We must nurture their childhood to learn, to grow and to prosper and reach their full potential and vaccines are critical in achieving this feat. Family members must support a woman to take care of children and rest of the family.
We must listen to the mothers/caregivers and give them the opportunity to make right decisions about children’s health and well being and enable them seek Education or more information so that they can make the Right Health Choices. Health programs must nudge the household decision makers, grandparents, Uncles and Aunties in various communities to encourage and facilitate sending Caregivers to Health Center with their children to get their vaccine shots. Afterall, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. If you are still not convinced ask a child with polio who has been crippled for life, how a vaccine would have changed his life. Think, was it misfortune, someone’s misgiving or a missed opportunity? This is the World Immunization Week 2023, let us not leave 67 million children behind. As a global community, let us stand up for Vaccines! Yesterday, Canada just stood for Vaccines by demonstrating commitment to Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness - 100 Day Mission to make vaccines rapidly and equitably available in response to future disease outbreaks. I want to beat the drum and say Thank you!
Preety Sharma, Milton, ON