We’re sure that many of you will be as surprised as we were to find out that 16 March every year is National Vaccination Day. Go figure! National Vaccination Day was first observed on 16 March 1995 when the first dose of the Oral Polio Vaccine was administered in India. How fitting is it that the arrival and national rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination coincides with a day that promotes the timely use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against vaccine-preventable diseases?
In the spirit of Don’t Wait Vaccinate campaign at the heart of National Vaccination Day, Discovery is facilitating the compilation of a central database to ensure that healthcare workers and practice staff have rapid access to COVID-19 vaccines. This information will help support the distribution planning for vaccine stock and be essential in arranging vaccination delivery and the necessary consent. It is necessary for all healthcare workers and professionals associated with the practice to provide their personal details to secure access to the vaccine. Individuals can register their details by logging into the Discovery website and completing the relevant field for healthcare workers and practice staff.
Despite the current, heart-breaking uncertainties about the vaccine’s efficacy against the South African strain of the virus, the proactive strategies, such as those laid out by Discovery, offer a glimmer of hope of achieving herd immunity in the near future. Herd immunity, or herd protection, is a type of indirect protection from an infectious disease that can be achieved when enough of the population has become immune from infection, be it by vaccination or previous infection. This reduces the likelihood of infecting someone who lacks immunity or has not received the vaccine. Watch this video for more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BUCi5Tuzms&feature=youtu.be
While we wait for an update about the vaccine's effectiveness against our hardy and resistant strain (much like our population), remember to keep up to date with your flu shots, thereby, giving you one less thing to worry about as we head into winter. As always, stay safe and vigilant and keep fighting the good fight against COVID-19!
Comments