A childhood vaccination may take only a few seconds, but the protection it offers can last much longer. As World Immunisation Day highlights the importance of vaccination, the focus turns to protecting young lives from preventable diseases.
Giving children a healthier start through immunisation
For a child, a visit to the doctor may not always be a pleasant experience, particularly when it involves an injection.
There may be a little crying, some resistance and perhaps a fever or fussiness afterwards. But while the discomfort may be brief, the purpose behind that little jab goes far beyond the momentary pain.
Immunisation, particularly during infancy and early childhood, is one way of preparing a child’s body to fight infections before they become serious health threats.
As the world observes World Immunisation Day, the importance of childhood vaccination comes into focus once again, especially at a time when parents are faced with an abundance of health information, questions and concerns.
Timberland Medical Centre consultant paediatrician Dr Choy Yee Yi said infancy and early childhood were particularly important periods for immunisation because a child’s immune system was still developing.
“Young children are especially vulnerable to serious infections that can lead to hospitalisation, lifelong disability, or even death,” she explained.
Vaccination, she added, provides protection before children are exposed to these diseases, helping them grow and develop healthily.
Training the body’s defences
While most parents are familiar with the routine of taking their children for vaccinations, the science behind what happens after an injection may be less widely understood.
Essentially, vaccines work by preparing the immune system to recognise a particular infection without exposing the child to the full effects of the disease.
Dr Choy explained that vaccines are made from weakened or inactivated germs, or carefully selected parts of germs that cannot cause disease.
Through vaccination, the body produces antibodies and immune memory cells, enabling the immune system to recognise the infection should the child encounter it later.
“If the child later encounters the actual infection, the immune system can recognise it quickly and respond effectively, preventing severe illness,” she said.
However, building immunity is not always a one-time process.
Some vaccines require multiple doses because protection develops gradually. Initial doses help the body recognise a disease, while subsequent ones strengthen and extend that protection.
Booster doses also play a role in maintaining immunity, as the body’s protection against certain infections can decrease over time.
“Our body’s immunity can decrease over time, and booster shots help maintain strong, long-term protection,” Dr Choy said.
When parents have questions
For parents, keeping up with a child’s vaccination schedule is one thing, but understanding the possible effects and benefits of each vaccine is another.
Questions about vaccine safety, side effects and the number of doses required are common. Parents may also wonder whether certain vaccinations are still necessary when some diseases appear to be less common today.
Dr Choy acknowledged that these were reasonable concerns, particularly among parents who want to make informed decisions about their children’s health.
Most vaccine-related side effects, she explained, are mild and temporary, usually resolving within one to two days.
These may include pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, mild fever, fussiness or irritability, and reduced appetite.
While such reactions are generally manageable, parents should also be aware of symptoms that require medical attention.
“These include difficulty breathing, severe allergic reactions such as facial swelling, persistent high fever, seizures, unusual tiredness or unresponsiveness,” the paediatrician added.
Although serious reactions are extremely rare, Dr Choy stressed that medical assessment is important if they occur.
Beyond concerns about side effects, the growing circulation of health-related claims on social media has made it increasingly important for parents to distinguish reliable information from misinformation.
With different opinions and personal experiences being shared online, Dr Choy advised parents to seek clarification from healthcare professionals and refer to credible sources such as the Ministry of Health, recognised medical organisations and scientific publications.
“Social media posts may be biased based on personal opinions, may give incomplete information, or even misinformation,” she cautioned.
Rather than relying solely on online claims, parents should consider whether the information is supported by scientific evidence and expert consensus.
Keeping vaccinations on track
Another important aspect of childhood immunisation is ensuring that children complete their recommended doses.
For parents who may have missed a scheduled appointment, Dr Choy said there was no need to assume that the entire vaccination process had to begin again.
Instead, they should contact their doctor or nearest clinic to arrange a catch-up schedule.
“In most cases, there is no need to restart the entire vaccination series. Healthcare providers can arrange a catch-up schedule to ensure the child receives the necessary protection,” she explained.
In Malaysia, childhood vaccinations are provided free of charge at government healthcare facilities under the National Immunisation Programme, which begins at birth.
The programme covers protection against several infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), pneumococcal disease, measles, mumps and rubella.
In Sarawak, Japanese encephalitis vaccination is also included in the programme.
For parents seeking additional protection, other vaccines are available through private healthcare facilities to complement the national programme.
These include vaccines against rotavirus, influenza, chickenpox, hepatitis A, meningococcal infection, rabies, dengue and typhoid.
With various vaccines available, parents can consult healthcare professionals to better understand which additional protection their children may need.
A responsibility shared
While much of the discussion surrounding childhood immunisation centres on protecting individual children, its benefits extend beyond that.
Vaccination coverage across a community also plays an important role in preventing diseases from spreading, particularly those that can cause outbreaks when fewer people are protected.
Dr Choy warned that declining vaccination rates could allow previously controlled diseases to re-emerge, including measles, pertussis and polio.
More importantly, reduced vaccination coverage could put vulnerable groups at greater risk.
These include newborns and young infants, the elderly, as well as individuals with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients undergoing treatment and transplant recipients receiving long-term immunosuppressive therapy.
For these individuals, exposure to infectious diseases can carry greater risks, making community-wide protection particularly important.
This is where immunisation takes on a wider meaning. It is not only about ensuring that a child receives the necessary protection, but also about reducing the risks faced by others who may be more vulnerable to infections.
For Dr Choy, the message she hopes every parent understands is that vaccination remains one of the safest and most effective ways to protect children from serious diseases.
“By vaccinating your child on schedule, you are not only protecting your own child but also helping to safeguard the health of your family, community, and future generations,” she said.
“Vaccines have saved millions of lives worldwide. Choosing to vaccinate is choosing protection, prevention, and a healthier future for our children.”
After all, the significance of immunisation may not always be apparent immediately after a vaccination appointment, but in the illnesses a child may be spared from in the years ahead.
