Mthatha resident Zodidi Mavimba says she and other mothers are sometimes harshly treated by clinic nurses if they miss their children’s immunisation appointments.
Mavimba, 36, is the mother of a three-year-old daughter.
“You will find that sometimes our clinic dates correspond with our working days and then it is hard to attend the clinic.
“When you finally make a time, the nurses punish you by making you the last person in the line,” she said.
“Sometimes we go home without being assisted at all, and that is a waste of transport money for us.”
Mavimba said, however, she was grateful to the health department for having an ongoing catch-up community immunisation campaign running between November 3 and November 30.
“My child has been immunised to prevent diseases from catching up with her.”
The catch-up immunisation campaign is expected to strengthen child health outcomes by ensuring that all children — particularly those who may have missed routine vaccines — are fully protected against life-threatening diseases including polio, measles and whooping cough.
By closing the immunity gap, the campaign will help reduce cases of vaccine-preventable illnesses which continue to pose risks in communities with low coverage.
Ultimately, improving vaccination rates contribute to healthier, more resilient children and reduce pressure on the health system.
Health MEC Ntandokazi Capa’s spokesperson, Camagwini Mavovana, said catch-up immunisation was important.
“When children miss their vaccines, they remain vulnerable to preventable illnesses that can cause severe complications, disability or even death.
“Outbreaks of diseases like measles and polio often start when there are gaps in vaccination coverage.
“So this campaign is essential to protect not only individual children but also the broader community through herd immunity.”
Mavovana urged parents with children up to 15 years old to visit their nearest health facility for immunisation.
Siphe Mgobozi, 35, parent of an 18-month-old boy, said immunisation was important to avoid sleepless nights dealing with a sick child.
“I took my child to get immunised and he got vitamin A.
“I saw it as important to get him immunised because I know nothing about health issues.”
Mavovana said the department did follow-ups to ensure all children received the necessary vaccinations.
“Once a facility notices there are children who didn’t come, a phone call is made.
“If there is no response, the child is referred to community healthcare workers to be traced.”
Once the child is traced, it is referred to the Ward-Based Primary Health Care Outreach Team to be visited.
Mavovana said despite the department’s best efforts, health workers faced significant challenges in reaching children who had missed their scheduled appointment, especially in remote areas.
“Transport challenges may make it difficult to do this as frequently as we would like.
“We assist by hiring vehicles, but not every area can be reached,” she said.
This meant health workers had to rely on alternative methods to follow up with families, including phone calls and submitting the names of missing children to the ward-based care team.
“It’s not ideal, but it’s better than nothing,” she said.
Daily Dispatch
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