Parents and guardians are advised that childhood vaccines will be offered tomorrow, Saturday, March 9, at the Randal Phillips Polyclinic in Oistins, Christ Church; the St. Philip Polyclinic, Six Roads, St. Philip; and at Eden Lodge Primary School, Eden Lodge, St. Michael, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness is encouraging parents/guardians to take advantage of this outreach since coverage rates for the first and second Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine are noticeably low. Last year, there was only 91 per cent coverage for the first MMR vaccine and 76 per cent coverage for the second MMR.
This means there are gaps in the local MMR vaccine coverage which could leave Barbados open to an outbreak. The Ministry is aiming this year to increase surveillance and quickly identify and respond to any potential threats to vaccine uptake.
To this end, during the month of March, most clinics will open every Saturday giving parents/guardians the opportunity to have their children immunised outside of the regular clinic hours.