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Polio and measles are highly infectious diseases that are life-threatening and often result in long-term damage and disability.
- Immunisation is a highly effective, affordable way to combat these diseases and protect all our children.
- Immunisation is also very safe. The risk of an allergic reaction is very much smaller than for most other medicines. It hardly ever occurs.
- Mass campaigns pick up the children that have missed some of their visits to the clinic for immunisation. In this way more children are protected.
- You cannot over immunise a child. Even fully immunised children get extra benefit form mass immunisation campaigns.
- The threat of polio and measles remains a real one. Although South Africa has not experienced polio for years, it is still a problem in many countries and could be imported by a visitor.
- Many of our children are HIV-positive and they are especially vulnerable to infectious diseases. It is extra important to immunise them.
- Immunisation is a social responsibility. We can only create a measles- and polio-free environment if all children are immunised.
- Many countries are completely polio-free. South Africa is close to being recognised as polio-free by the World Health organisation. An outbreak would ruin years of hard work towards this.
- It is possible to eradicate diseases globally. Immunisation enabled us to triumph over smallpox. A polio-free world is a very real possibility. Let us join hands with other nations to achieve this.
The content on this page was last updated on 15 March 2014