Submitted by Margaret
Hendriks, RN, BScN, Public Health Nurse
By January 1, 2005, three new
publicly funded vaccines will be added to the recommended schedule of
routine childhood immunizations. Currently these vaccines are available to
parents, but at very high personal financial cost. With the Ontario
government covering the cost of these vaccines, the expected savings to
parents could be more than $600 per child.
By providing these vaccines,
we will be protecting our young children against serious childhood
diseases. One of the vaccines provided under this new funding is
Pneumococcal Conjugate. This prevents invasive pneumococcal diseases,
which include pneumonia, meningitis and infection of the bloodstream. The
next vaccine is Varicella. This prevents a common childhood illness known
to us all as chicken pox, as well as its secondary complications that
could include bacterial skin infections.
The last new vaccine is
Meningococcal Conjugate C. This prevents invasive meningococcal disease
including meningitis and infection of the blood. The addition of theses
vaccines to the provincial program will ensure that children no longer
suffer the serious or fatal effects of these vaccine preventable illnesses
in children.
Leeds,
Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit -
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