The Ministry of Health (MOH) has pointed out that it added, earlier this year, new vaccines and doses to the National Immunization Schedule; in order to protect children and community groups, Allah Willing, against the vaccine-targeted diseases and the incidence of some infectious diseases and their serious complications, as well as attaining a healthy society free from these infectious diseases and their epidemics. Furthermore, MOH has indicated that, since 01/01/2013, it has routinely embarked on giving a vaccine against “rotavirus”, a vaccine against meningitis (associated quartet meningococcus) and a dose of vaccine against M.M.R for the targeted groups across all primary health care centers affiliated to all Kingdom’s regions, governorates, villages and hamlets.
The Deputy Minister for Public Health, Dr. Ziad Memish, has affirmed that MOH had circulated the new National Immunization Schedule to all health care centers, indicating that the addition of these vaccines and doses is a continuation of the successes the Ministry got to accomplish in the field of vaccines, given that the Kingdom is reckoned one of the first countries with regard to the inclusiveness of vaccination, where the immunization rate has reached more than 98%; a matter which resulted in carrying out great achievements, in terms of the eradication of poliomyelitis and tetanus, in addition to embarking on the stage of removing measles, rubella, and mumps, which seeks to eliminate them by 2015, Allah willing, that is to be added to reducing the rate of the rest of the vaccine-targeted diseases.
He went on adding that the addition of these vaccines comes within the framework of the keenness of MOH to continually update the National Vaccinations Schedule, and based on the recommendations of the National Vaccinations Technical Committee, after evaluating the results of the epidemiological situation analysis of the vaccine-targeted diseases in the Kingdom and their serious complications. Meanwhile, this comes in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Director of the Expanded National Immunization Program, Dr. ‘A’ishah Al-Shammary, has pointed out that vaccines and doses that have been added include a vaccine against (rotavirus), which aims to protect children from acute intestinal influenza caused by this virus. This vaccine is given via two oral doses; the first dose is given at the age of two months while the second one at the age of four months.
Furthermore, these vaccinations also included a vaccine against meningitis (associated quartet meningococcus), which is given via intramuscular injection; the first dose is given at the age of 9 months and the second one at the age of 12 months, given that the interval between doses should not be less than three months. A dose of vaccine against M.M.R (that is a vaccine-ROM containing vaccines against measles, mumps and rubella) has also been added to the National Immunization Schedule, which is to be given at the age of 18 months, in addition to the other two doses given at the age of 12 months, and when entering the school. Dr. Memish has pointed out that the Kingdom is currently in the process of removing measles and rubella, as the interval between doses at the age of 12 months and when entering the primary stage is relatively long; resulting in the occurrence of most cases of measles before entering school.