Health Drive to Prevent Child Mortality

What is the PCV13 Catch Up Drive?

The Department of Health, through the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), will provide an additional dose of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13) that is meant to protect children and communities against pneumococcal diseases.

Who Should Get this Vaccine?

There are two targeted groups:
1) Children 18 - 35 months:
Young children (18 months to below three years) will get one dose of PCV13. This includes children who are on TB treatment but are not HIV infected.

2) Children with Underlying Medical Conditions: 18 - 71 months:
Children with underlying medical conditions are considered to be at high risk for developing pneumococcal disease. These children from the age of 18 to 71 months (under six years of age) will receive two doses of PCV13, eight weeks apart. This target group includes children with the following conditions:

• Immuno-compromised or with immune-compromising condition: HIV infected (including children on antiretroviral treatment).
• Chronic renal failure and nephrotic syndrome.
• Associated diseases on treatment with immunosuppressive drugs or radiation therapy, including those with malignancies and organ transplantation.
• Congenital immunodeficiency and Functional or Anatomic Asplenia.
• Congenital immunodeficiency like agammaglobinopathies.
• Sickle cell anaemia and other haemoglobinopathies.
• Congenital or acquired asplenia (without a spleen) and splenic dysfunction.

Others: chronic lung diseases - this group includes asthmatics that are on systemic (oral) steroids, cardiac conditions, diabetes mellitus, cochlear implants and cerebrospinal fluid leaks.

Why Does My Child Need this Vaccine?

This vaccine can save your child's life. The campaign focuses specifically on an additional dose of the pneumococcal vaccine - Prevenar 13 / PCV13 (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine).

This vaccine protects against pneumococcal meningitis and pneumonia, bacteraemia (a type of infection of the blood), sinusitis and otitis media (middle ear infection). Both these vaccines protect against serious infections which cause a significant amount of morbidity and mortality.

Where Do I Take My Child to Be Vaccinated?

Mobile teams will be visiting crèches and day care centres throughout the province to administer the vaccine during the campaign.

Parents/guardians need to read, sign and return the consent form that they receive.

Parents whose children do not attend crèche should take their children to their local clinic where child health services are rendered.

List of clinics.

When Does this Drive Take Place?

The campaign will run from 1 February 2012 to 31 May 2012.

Learn more about immunisation.

Field guide for the 13 valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine immunistation catch up drive.