As the holidays are coming to an end, and children are getting ready to go back to school, parents are ensuring that everything is in place, and one of the things being looked at is their child's wellness.
Children are prone to picking up germs and it is important to make sure that they are feeling healthy and ready for the start of the new school year.
One of the ways to ensure a child is healthy, able to fight off germs and bacteria and maintain a trouble-free school year is by getting their immunity on par. This can be done through immunisations, which provide the right antibodies to fight diseases.
Connector has spoken to medical experts around the UAE to get insight into the importance of taking vaccinations, to ensure children are set to go back to school.
Vaccinations help in protecting children from catching various illnesses or reduce the intensity of them when contracted, by boosting their immunity to fight them.
Dr Aji Mathew, Consultant in General Paediatrics at Mubadala Health Dubai said, "Vaccination is the easiest, cheapest, and most reliable way to protect your child from deadly diseases. In the past, these diseases caused a lot of serious harm, and now, they are on the brink of extinction, primarily due to safe and effective vaccines. Vaccination either protects your child from contracting an illness or can reduce the severity of the illness and reduce the disease burden in the community. Considering the advances in medicine, vaccines are now easily available in nearly all countries and are safe to be administered to children."
Before being administered to children, vaccinations undergo rigorous testing to make sure they are effective in providing the individual with the required antibodies to fight off disease, and only once approved, are given to children. Dr Ghassan Soud, Consultant Paediatrics at Mediclinic Dubai Mall stated, "Only minor side effects are encountered with vaccines and the most common side effects of vaccines are:
- Pain, swelling or redness at the injection site
- Mild fever
- Chills
- Feeling tired
- Headache
- Muscle and joint aches
Usually, they last 48 hours and rarely last longer, the vaccine will never give the disease, which it is supposed to prevent."
There are some children that are exempt or are not advised to take vaccinations, due to pre-underlying health issues. In such cases, it is advised to first consult the family doctor to ensure that it is safe for a child with existing health ailments to take vaccinations. Children that cannot be vaccinated, still have a certain degree of protection when they are around other students that are vaccinated. This is due to herd immunity, which is a result of when large numbers of students are immune to the disease after getting vaccinated, which offers additional protection to children that are not.
Dr Mihaela J Svorcina, General Practitioner at Dubai Cosmetic Surgery said, "The only children who should not have vaccines are those who had a serious allergic reaction to a previous dose of the vaccine or those with weakened immune systems. They need to rely on herd immunity, for example, that others in their community have had vaccines and therefore the disease will not be spread."
Schools in the UAE check with parents when enrolling their child in schools, if their child has received the immunisations required, and make sure that children are receiving the right vaccinations at the correct age. Parents are then advised to ensure their child takes them and arranges programmes at schools to make sure they are protected, however, students that have other health ailments do not need to take the vaccinations, if they can develop adverse reactions.
Dr Aji Mathew of Mubadala Health Dubai said, "Schools in UAE check the immunisation status of all students at the time of enrollment in school. They encourage the parents to complete any routine vaccinations which are pending and arrange vaccination programmes in school for children to catch up on any vaccines which may have been missed. Recently UAE made primary immunisation a mandatory requirement for school entry even though some exceptions are allowed based on the clinical condition of the child."
As vaccinations boost the immunity of a child, the UAE Government urges parents to ensure that children take the required vaccinations in a timely manner, from birth right up to Grade 11. Parents can also enquire with Dubai Health Authority to ensure a child is receiving the right doses of vaccinations at the correct age.
Dr Mihaela J Svorcina of Dubai Cosmetic Surgery said, "The UAE Government mandates vaccinations to children from the time they are born to the time they reach Grade 11."
Parents are also advised to make sure that children take their booster shots at the right age. Booster shots offer additional protection, as over time the effectiveness of the vaccine does not provide the required antibodies the child needs to fight off infections and should be taken as recommended by doctors.
Dr Ghassan Soud of Mediclinic Dubai Mall said, "Booster of tetanus and meningitis vaccines are recommended at the age of 10 years and 15 years respectively."
There are other ways to boost immunity in children to make sure a child is protected against illnesses, apart from immunisation.
As children are more prone to illness, a balanced diet can help boost energy levels. Parents should ensure that children eat nutritious meals, which also provide the right nutrients to maintain a strong immune system.
Sleeping at a timely hour is also advised, due to many children waking up early to head to school. With not enough sleep, children can feel lethargic and groggy the entire day, and by getting a minimum of eight to nine hours sleep, children will feel productive and be able to go through the day with high energy. Sleeping helps the body to recover from the activities of the day, which leads to the immune system working at full capacity.
Exercising from a young age is important, as it assists in strengthening the immune system. Incorporating physical activity into daily life also reduces the chances of developing health ailments including cholesterol, obesity, diabetes and more.
Another way to boost immunity is through supplements. Some children do not get the right nutrients through food, and supplements can help target the issues that children usually lack through food and nutrition. Some supplements to consider are ones that contain calcium, vitamin C, zinc and vitamin D, and as some children are not keen on taking tablets, syrups and gummies are great alternatives to boost overall wellness.
Martians, which creates gummies and multivitamin syrups for children that boost their overall wellbeing, has launched products, that when taken daily, make sure that students are healthy and boost their immunity. One such supplement is the Martians Gummies Acute Immunity Booster with Elderberry. When children get sick, it can take a toll on the immune system and these gummies contain elderberry, which is great to treat influenza, colds and sinusitis. The gummies also contain folic acid, vitamin C and zinc to help children recover faster by boosting their immunity.
Immunisations are important to consider as children go back to school to help them fight off any diseases. Additionally, with the help of sleep, exercise, nutritious meals and supplements, it can boost a child's immunity and get them fit and ready for school.