The Free State Branch of Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa (PSSA) are actively helping to educate the public on the importance of vaccination.
Dr. Martlie Mocke-Richter, executive committee member of the PSSA and chairperson of the Free State Pharmaceutical Society, highlighted the critical role of vaccination in preventing and controlling infectious diseases like smallpox and polio.
She emphasized how vaccines help prevent outbreaks, reduce transmission, and contribute to herd immunity, offering indirect protection to vulnerable populations who cannot be vaccinated.
The World Health Organization (WHO) provides a critical vaccination schedule to safeguard individuals from birth through adolescence against major infectious diseases. At birth, essential vaccines include the BCG (for tuberculosis), Hepatitis B, and the Polio (oral polio vaccine or OPV). At six weeks, infants receive a series of essential vaccines: DTP-HepB-Hib (covering diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type b), along with Polio, Pneumococcal, and Rotavirus vaccines. These vaccines are administered again at 10 and 14 weeks to build immunity.
By 9-12 months, children are vaccinated for Measles, and in some regions, Yellow Fever and Meningococcal vaccines are also given. By 12-15 months, the MMR vaccine (for measles, mumps, and rubella) is administered, followed by booster shots of DTP, Polio, and MMR between 16-24 months. Between 9-15 years, adolescents receive the HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, along with a Tetanus-Diphtheria booster. The WHO also advises annual Influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations for high-risk groups to protect against these prevalent illnesses.
Martlie also pointed out that vaccination significantly reduces mortality rates and eases the financial burden on healthcare systems by minimizing the need for hospitalizations and costly treatments.
“Vaccines also play a crucial role in combating antibiotic resistance by reducing antibiotics for preventable infections,” she concludes.
