The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

THE manager of the country’s National Immunisation Programme says vaccines have “profoundly” impacted the infant mortality rate as well as the spread of other communicable diseases in the country.

Ruth Bastian, a registered nurse from the Department of Public Health, said the country has “averted deaths” and seen a reduction in a number of cases of vaccine preventable diseases, in a presentation to the Rotary Club of Nassau on Tuesday.

“There’s about 26 vaccines that are available but each country makes the decision on what vaccines they would introduce to their population,” she said.

“And that is based on what needs they find in terms of diseases that may be occurring in the population at any given time.”

According to Nurse Bastian, 17 of the 26 vaccines are administered to the Bahamian population.

She added that she doesn’t believe the Ministry of Health will introduce anymore, because the country is already “at the max”, in terms of the vaccines that are available.

Nurse Bastian also revealed that the immunisation schedule has been “reorganised” this year to “bump up” the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. “Previously we had doses given at one year and then at four years [of age]. The recommendation was already there for us to make a change, but our measles cases in February this year sort of pushed us to change our immunisation schedule.

“So for our second dose of MMR, we moved that to 15-months of age and so now our babies will be receiving their two doses of measles prior to the age of two,” she explained.

She furthered that the decrease in maternal mortality in the country is also the result of sterility practices that encourage women to deliver in hospitals.

“Years ago you had where woman delivered at home so there was always that risk of the mother developing tetanus.

“Now, because we routinely give all of our women tetanus [vaccines] during antenatal, as well as pertussis, we have now reduced that risk of any maternal tetanus or pertussis occurring in the newborn infant,” she said.

Still, Nurse Bastian said while this can be considered an achievement, the country should not get “complacent” just because some diseases “have not been seen in the country” for some time.

“We are meeting some of our targets in terms of elimination of diseases in our country; however, my concern is complacency because we do not live amongst ourselves.”

Nurse Bastian said because Bahamians tend to travel frequently, there is still a high risk for an unvaccinated citizen to get infected outside the country and return home with a disease.

She added that some of the “biggest challenges” seen in the immunisation programme come from anti-vaccinators who use autism as an “excuse” to avoid immunising their children, as well as hesitant parents, who are apprehensive about immunising their child again after they had a reaction the first time.

As for the future, Nurse Bastian said the programme is aiming to “heighten the awareness” about the importance of immunisation through “increased coverage” in schools and throughout local communities.

“We’re a tourist country. We have over six million coming in every year and just how they’re traveling to Europe and going into the US and causing havoc, the same thing can happen here,” she said.

Two cases of measles in children have been reported in the country for the year. The patients were siblings, both tourists, and officials believe they were exposed to the virus while travelling outside of the country.