Ministry of Health
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Kingston Parish Church to Host Immunization Outreach
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KINGSTON, (JIS):
Monday, May 29, 2006
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As part of its contribution to Child Month, the Kingston Parish Church will on Saturday (May 27) host an immunization outreach for children residing in communities in the vicinity of the church.
Parents are being asked to take their children, including babies, to the church grounds at 70b King Street between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., to benefit from the outreach.
Nurse Clareteta Henry, coordinator of the outreach programme for the Kingston Parish Church, told JIS News that there was a strong need to do "something special" for the children in and around the community of the church during the month. "We chose to focus on immunization because there are a lot of babies and children, who are still not immunised, and we thought it would be only fitting to focus on this as part of our Child Month activities," she explained.
Nurse Henry said that many times, parents were too busy to take their babies to the clinic and only become aware of their negligence when the child was about to start school. "When asked if the child is inoculated they say no and then problems ensue. So, we are trying to offer this service at hand so that come September, which is the beginning of the new school year, they will have no problems," she noted.
Public health and registered nurses, who are also members of the church, will be on hand to do the vaccinations, which will be provided by the Ministry of Health free of cost.
Parents are being asked to bring along the children's immunization cards so that the nurses can determined which vaccinations have been given. "If the child has yet to receive any vaccination, then we can start the programme," Nurse Henry informed.
"We will then refer them to the nearest child clinic like Victoria Jubilee Comprehensive Clinic and other clinics where they do post natal and maternal childcare," she added.
Refreshments will be provided for parent and child at the outreach. "We want to make it a friendly day for parents and children," Nurse Henry said.
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