Children to be Vaccinated for Chickenpox from September

The ministry made the vaccine an essential part of its National Immunisation Programme that ensures all children until the age of five years are vaccinated against diseases such as polio, hepatitis, rubella, tuberculosis and other diseases.

Two doses of the vaccine are required — one at 12 months of age and the second at five years.

“This step is in line with global and regional trends,” said Dr Mahmoud Fikri, Chief Executive Officer of Health Policy at the ministry. “We will start implementing the programme once the vaccine arrives, possibly in the third quarter of this year.”

According to experts, immigration and crammed living conditions make the country susceptible to chickenpox outbreaks, although there has never been a countrywide epidemic.

Expatriates from countries with tropical climates, such as Sri Lanka and some parts of India, are most susceptible to the disease as adults because they are less likely to be exposed to it as children.

“The vaccine is already being used worldwide, some Gulf countries as well as in Abu Dhabi,” said Dr Emad Karim, Consultant, Community Medicine and Vaccinology.

A study conducted in Al Ain in association with the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Ministry of Health (MoH) two years ago found that immigrant workers 21-30 years of age, most notably Sri Lankans and Indians, had low exposure to the chickenpox virus as children. This made these communities most affected by the disease as adults in the UAE.

Chickenpox causes a rash that usually begins on the scalp or back first and then spreads all over the body in the form of pus filled pustules. In addition, it can also cause fever, and fatigue.

Children can usually recover from chickenpox without any problems, but in adults the infection may be severe or even fatal, with complications such as meningitis and pneumonia.

The disease is seasonal and occurs in the country mostly in the spring (around March and April).

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com