Like most people, the closest I have been to a measles immunization was when I was on the receiving end as a child. Although that event is now lost in the mists of time, I got the chance to see something similar through fresh eyes with the start of a nationwide immunization campaign in Samoa this week.
The UN Children’s Fund is providing technical, logistics and equipment support to the campaign, which aims to immunize some 32,000 children between 6 months and 4 years and 11 months – the most at-risk group. Originally planned for six weeks, the campaign is now being implemented in just two.
So why is a nationwide campaign needed instead of focusing only on children in the disaster zone? It’s because an emergency such as the tsunami that hit Samoa can compromise the health of children, making them very susceptible to disease.
Countries recovering from a natural disaster are more prone to communicable diseases due to affected infrastructure and interruption of routine immunization schedules. A national campaign is important because it reduces the likelihood of any individual measles case spreading to other children, keeping the population safer. The aim is to keep all children safe.
I accompanied a UNICEF specialist – who has been liaising with the Samoan National Health Service and Ministry of Health – to see how the campaign unfolded in the tsunami-affected areas of southeast and south Samoa.
We went to a temporary clinic set up in a village hall at Lalomanu. The hall is a Samoan Fale, with a roof and floor, but no walls. Parents (mostly mothers), infants and young children were queued up everywhere, waiting patiently for their turn.
Nursing staff, including a volunteer from New Zealand, sat on the floor surrounded by medical equipment such as cool boxes, which are used to keep the vaccines at a constant (cool) temperature in the 30 degree heat. One nurse was recording details of children to be immunized, while others administered Vitamin A or the measles vaccine.
The Vitamin A comes in a small tear-shaped container, smaller than a thumbnail. A nurse cuts off the sharp end and then drips the contents into a child’s mouth. I only have children’s reactions to go by in gauging what it tastes like. Some children accept it willingly enough – not screwing up their faces in disgust at all – while others seem to reject the entire idea and kick up a bit of a fuss.
Vitamin A is given along with the measles vaccination because it is a proven intervention that significantly increases children’s resistance to infection, particularly measles and diarrheal diseases.
The next stage was the needle bit. I must say that I’m not a fan of having a syringe inserted into my arm or any other place, so I could completely empathise with what was coming up. It was so interesting to see the children’s reactions as the nurse prepared the syringe and then administered the measles vaccine.
Some children were completely stoical, taking the whole experience in their stride. Others were quite calm until they realized what was happening: needle + arm = aghhhh! You can imagine the noise of that, repeated over and over, but it didn’t take long for even the grizzliest of children to get back to normal. Having their mum close at hand certainly helped, as did the colourful balloon they received.
Seeing the campaign with my own eyes was a great privilege. It makes me feel immensely proud to work for an agency like UNICEF, which has the capacity and the expertise to support governments to do immunizations across an entire country.
Even though I am no fan of jabs, I can see that the moment of discomfort some of the children felt was really worth it, because these children now have a brighter future, safe from measles.
"I'm a UNICEF supporter, and I'd love you to join me."
Samoan children flock to be immunized
Like most people, the closest I have been to a measles immunization was when I was on the receiving end as a child. Although that event is now lost in the mists of time, I got the chance to see something similar through fresh eyes with the start of a nationwide immunization campaign in Samoa this week.
The UN Children’s Fund is providing technical, logistics and equipment support to the campaign, which aims to immunize some 32,000 children between 6 months and 4 years and 11 months – the most at-risk group. Originally planned for six weeks, the campaign is now being implemented in just two.
So why is a nationwide campaign needed instead of focusing only on children in the disaster zone? It’s because an emergency such as the tsunami that hit Samoa can compromise the health of children, making them very susceptible to disease.
Countries recovering from a natural disaster are more prone to communicable diseases due to affected infrastructure and interruption of routine immunization schedules. A national campaign is important because it reduces the likelihood of any individual measles case spreading to other children, keeping the population safer. The aim is to keep all children safe.
I accompanied a UNICEF specialist – who has been liaising with the Samoan National Health Service and Ministry of Health – to see how the campaign unfolded in the tsunami-affected areas of southeast and south Samoa.
We went to a temporary clinic set up in a village hall at Lalomanu. The hall is a Samoan Fale, with a roof and floor, but no walls. Parents (mostly mothers), infants and young children were queued up everywhere, waiting patiently for their turn.
Nursing staff, including a volunteer from New Zealand, sat on the floor surrounded by medical equipment such as cool boxes, which are used to keep the vaccines at a constant (cool) temperature in the 30 degree heat. One nurse was recording details of children to be immunized, while others administered Vitamin A or the measles vaccine.
The Vitamin A comes in a small tear-shaped container, smaller than a thumbnail. A nurse cuts off the sharp end and then drips the contents into a child’s mouth. I only have children’s reactions to go by in gauging what it tastes like. Some children accept it willingly enough – not screwing up their faces in disgust at all – while others seem to reject the entire idea and kick up a bit of a fuss.
Vitamin A is given along with the measles vaccination because it is a proven intervention that significantly increases children’s resistance to infection, particularly measles and diarrheal diseases.
The next stage was the needle bit. I must say that I’m not a fan of having a syringe inserted into my arm or any other place, so I could completely empathise with what was coming up. It was so interesting to see the children’s reactions as the nurse prepared the syringe and then administered the measles vaccine.
Some children were completely stoical, taking the whole experience in their stride. Others were quite calm until they realized what was happening: needle + arm = aghhhh! You can imagine the noise of that, repeated over and over, but it didn’t take long for even the grizzliest of children to get back to normal. Having their mum close at hand certainly helped, as did the colourful balloon they received.
Seeing the campaign with my own eyes was a great privilege. It makes me feel immensely proud to work for an agency like UNICEF, which has the capacity and the expertise to support governments to do immunizations across an entire country.
Even though I am no fan of jabs, I can see that the moment of discomfort some of the children felt was really worth it, because these children now have a brighter future, safe from measles.