With the opening of schools for the new school year, the Department of Public Health (Directie Volksgezondheid – DVG) has launched its annual school vaccination campaign. Youth physician JGZ Jan Hubert explains that the main goal is to go into schools and vaccinate a specific group of children against infectious diseases, ensuring that children can grow up in good health and protecting the entire community.
From 1971 to the present, this program has yielded positive results, protecting generation after generation against preventable diseases. Vaccination not only protects the individual child, but also acts as a shield to keep the entire community free of infectious diseases.
Importance of vaccination and boosters The vaccination process starts when a child is a baby, beginning at the White and Yellow Cross (Wit Gele Kruis) and continuing later at school. However, protection from some vaccines diminishes over time, which is why booster shots are necessary.
Among the vaccines administered that require boosters after certain years are:
• Diphtheria, Pertussis (Whooping Cough), Tetanus, and Polio: Vaccines that are repeated to strengthen immunity against serious diseases.
• Measles, Mumps, and Rubella: Viral diseases for which the initial vaccination provides protection when the child is small, and which are reinforced at school to prevent the chance of contagion.
• HPV (Human Papillomavirus): A common virus that can cause different forms of cancer, including cervical cancer in women and other forms of cancer in men. This vaccination starts from grade 6 of primary school for girls and boys.
Procedure and permission for parents DVG follows a strict procedure:
• Informative letter and brochure: Parents receive a letter specifying what type of vaccine is involved, accompanied by an informative brochure.
• Signed permission: Parents must give permission and sign the letter to indicate whether they consent to vaccinate their child.
• School visit: Starting on September 4, the DVG team begins visiting schools to administer the vaccinations.
Youth physician Jan Hubert emphasizes the value of this campaign in keeping Aruba free of infectious diseases and invites all parents to take advantage of this opportunity to ensure their children’s health. If parents have questions, DVG is available to provide as broad an explanation as possible.
