With a constantly increasing number of infections worldwide and containment imposed by the state of health emergency, the fear of exposure to the new coronavirus (Covid-19) is taking over and affects the vaccination schedule in children.
Although the figures show that children are not directly affected by this coronavirus pandemic, their health has nevertheless been affected by this new reality.
For some concerned parents, the risk of exposure to Covid-19 seems to be greater than the benefit of getting the vaccine early or seeing a doctor quickly for minor illnesses and injuries.
The pandemic has disrupted parents’ visits to health centers. Before the outbreak of the pandemic, the halls of the health centers were crowded with infants and children who came for their usual consultations and vaccinations, said the director of the Dradeb Health center in Tangier, Samir El Katrani, in a statement to the MAP.
Any delay, even short, in vaccination risks reoccurring preventable diseases in children under two years of age, said Samir El Katrani.
Calling in this regard parents and guardians of children and infants to respect the vaccination schedule, he reiterated that vaccination is maintained at health centers in the Kingdom despite the current situation.
To reassure parents, the health center has reorganized, with an orientation which is carried out by a health professional at the reception and the establishment of two circuits, the first of which is intended for medical consultation and chronic diseases and the second to vaccinations and pregnant women.
Regarding appointments, entries are limited to only 10 to 15 patients and this, in strict compliance with barrier gestures and safety distance, said Samir El Katrani.
Hasna, accompanied by her 2-year-old baby who came for vaccination, said that she was satisfied with the measures taken by the health centers to encourage parents to maintain the vaccination schedule for their children.
For pediatricians, several procedures have been put in place such as the good organization of appointments, spacing them out so that the patients are not numerous and to avoid waiting.
In pediatric clinics, waiting rooms have been emptied of toys, books, magazines and flyers, while setting up a room for sick children and a room for vaccination, in addition to permanent cleaning and disinfection of places, said professor of pediatrics, Ouazzani Touhami Makine.
In this sense, Professor Makine warned against “stopping vaccinations of infants during the confinement period, which could have dreadful consequences in terms of morbidity and mortality”.
For their part, professional organizations such as the Moroccan Society of Pediatric Infectiology and Vaccinology and Infovac Morocco, have recommended a reorganization of consultations to ensure continuity of pediatric care and above all not to interrupt the vaccination schedule for infants, also recommending maintaining consultations including vaccinations and delaying vaccination reminders for children over 2 years of age.
It should not be forgotten that respecting the schedule of vaccines helps preserve the successes and achievements of vaccination in Morocco. In fact, thanks to the national immunization program of the Ministry of Health and the efforts of liberal pediatrics, a certain number of diseases have been eradicated and satisfactory and protective coverage rates have been obtained, as for measles, including the rate is around 95% in Morocco.
In a recent statement, the Ministry of Health recommended continuing immunization of children during the national COVID-19 health crisis, noting that delayed vaccination may increase the risk of contracting preventable diseases.
The vaccination of children and infants is considered one of the priority essential services for the prevention of communicable diseases by implementing organizational and preventive measures to protect children, parents and health workers against this pandemic, in accordance with the procedures in force.
By Sarah Belabbes
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