By Kakoba Media Academy (Ali Magala).
At Mukono General Hospital, a Governmemt health facility, in Mukono town,Mukono District,mothers(with babies) visit the hospital in search for their babies’ safety.
A facility receives an overwhelming number of mothers on a daily basis to immunise their babies with Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine(PCV1) which protects babies against Diptheria, Tetanus,Hepatitis B and Influenza type B among others.
Regardless of the few challenges mothers encounter whilst at the facility including among others, Overstaying in long queues(steming from a great number of mothers visiting the facilty) waiting for their turn to immunise their babies, they(mothers) lean on the factor that the PCV helps their children’s system to fight other diseases that may cause death at an early age.
Christine Katushabe, a mother(to a 5 months baby) and resident of Seeta-Mukono while speaking to Kakoba Media Academy said the vaccine stimulates children’s immune system to make antibodies against Pneumococcal infection.
Mrs Katushabe(in light to the above) said because of immunisation , her child is not disturbed by both visible and invisible infections and emphasized that the vaccine relieves the baby thus baking peace in the house therefore she is truly optimistic that it(PCV immunisation) will reduce Child mortality.
“Fellow Mothers should not fear the side effects like raised temperature and lack of appetite among babies bacause they (side effects) are temporary so, they should always bring their babies for PCV immunisation before it is late for them,she added.
The Ministry of Health records do show that Pneumonia, which annually kills close to 30,000 children under 5 yrs occupies top shot among pneumococcal disease.
Due to the high disease rates of the killer invasive Pneumococcal disease, a major cause of illness and death, infant and under 5 mortality remain high, therefore the PCV immunisation is usually administered as early as 6 weeks of age,every after 1month and 2 weeks(6 weeks) to reduce Child Mortality.
