Keeping up with immunisation

Making sure teenagers and older children in South Canterbury are up to date with their vaccinations is the focus of this year’s Immunisation Week, which gets underway on Monday.

South Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Daniel Williams said between May 1 and 7, Community and Public Health Health (CPH) would be encouraging parents and caregivers to check their teenager’s vaccination records and make sure they were up to date.

‘‘Today’s teenagers may have missed out on the protection they should have received as young children, because they were born before our processes for reminding parents of immunisations that are due, and tracking immunisation rates, were developed.

Williams said a booster immunisation against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough, which was given to 11-yearolds, renewed the protection that children received as babies and toddlers.

Immunisation against Human Papilloma Virus was also due around age 12 years, he said.

‘‘These immunisations are recommended, free, and have a proven safety record.’’

Williams said the seven day health focus was also an opportunity to ‘‘inform parents about the upcoming availability of free chickenpox immunisation at age 15 months, starting from 1 July this year’’.

‘‘Children turning 11 years of age on or after 1 July who have not had chickenpox or been immunised against it will also be eligible for the free immunisation.’’

The CPH immunisation team would be visiting participating high schools during the week so youngsters could come and chat about their immunisation needs.

The Youth Health Clinic at 18 Woollcombe St in Timaru would also be holding vaccination clinics on Tuesday afternoons between 2pm and 4.30pm, with no appointment necessary.