GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Youth Health Care, a division of the Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a Department at the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, will be embarking upon three community outreach vaccination sessions and lectures.
The theme for the vaccination campaign this year is "A Shared Responsibility."
Minister of Public Health Hon. Cornelius de Weever 'Get Checked' campaign is in line with the efforts of CPS and therefore Minister De Weever is appealing to guardians and parents to get their children checked to see if they are up to date with their vaccinations.
To celebrate the 11th Vaccination Week of the Americas (VWA) and the second World Vaccination Week (WVW), last month YHC partnered with Rotary Club St. Maarten Sunrise to form a children's Carnival troupe. VWA/WVW is held in the last week of April.
At the children's parade the emphasis was placed on depicting healthy nutrition through the childrens costumes. The name of the troupe was "Tutti Frutti Healthy Steppers." The costumes represented items from the five food groups namely, fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat and grain.
CPS will continue the VWA/WVW commemoration with three community outreach sessions and lectures. The first one is scheduled to take place on May 29 (St. Peters), followed by June 13 (Dutch Quarter) and the final one on June 20 (Cole Bay).
The objectives of the campaign are to stimulate parents to have their child(ren) vaccinated; to bring about awareness as it relates to vaccinations and to encourage parents and the community at large to take responsibility by ensuring updated vaccination records for the children in their care.
In addition the campaign aims to provide the public with general vaccination information; to encourage others such as, health care workers, pregnant women and pre-and exam class students to update their vaccination status. To encourage risk groups such as waste/garbage handlers, the Police, hotel and restaurant workers, and others to verify and update their vaccination status, particularly Hepatitis B and Tetanus.
Minister De Weever is also appealing to the various risk groups and health care providers to get checked to see if they are up to date with their vaccinations especially those identified by CPS.
