The Public Health Department’s efforts to eradicate vaccine-preventable diseases in Cayman have received one of the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) highest accolades.
The 2009 Award for Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) in the Caribbean was presented to Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kiran Kumar at the 26th Annual Caribbean EPI Managers Meeting held in St. Kitts earlier this month (9-13 November).This is the second time that Cayman has received the award. The department was also honoured in 1999.
Congratulating the public health team, Minister of Health the Hon. Mark Scotland said, “It once again acknowledges our public health officials’ rigorous efforts to protect the health of the population. They continue to work towards immunising every child.”
He specifically commended the efforts of Public Health Surveillance Officer Timothy McLaughlin and EPI Manager Alice Jane Ebanks who spearhead Cayman’s surveillance programmes for vaccine preventable diseases such as polio, measles and rubella.
The Islands’ immunisation programme is ranked as one of the most successful in the Caribbean. On average, more than 90% of children under two years of age are immunized with the recommended age appropriate vaccines annually. These figures have allowed public health officials to make significant strides in eradicating certain communicable diseases, Dr. Kumar explained. (See below).
“However, our goal is to achieve the target of 95% immunisation” Dr. Kumar said, and therefore he is urging all parents to check their children’s immunisation records.
Dr. Kumar concluded, “Parents must ensure that children are fully immunised. It will greatly support our efforts if they keep track of the schedule (as printed in each child’s record) and make the necessary appointments through the Public Health Department or any of the district health centres.”
Cayman’s Vigorous Immunisation Programme Pays Off
As a result of Public Health’s vigorous immunization programme the Cayman Islands rarely encounters cases of major infectious diseases:
Poliomyelitis (Polio): The last local case occurred in 1957.
Rubella: One imported case of rubella was reported in 2000. The spread from this case was limited to nine people, who were mainly older adults as children and young adults were immunized. No Congenital Rubella Syndrome (birth defects from rubella infection) was reported following these cases. The last Congenital Rubella Syndrome case occurred in 1996 in a child born locally to an expatriate.
Measles: The last incidence of measles occurred in 1990 when 27 cases were reported.
Diphtheria: This disease have been absent from Cayman for decades.
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib): The last cases occurred over a decade ago, when two serious cases of Hib infection were reported.
Pertussis (Whooping cough): The last cases were seen when a local outbreak occurred in 1999 with a total of nine cases reported.
Source: Public Health Department
