Vaccinate kids before school starts

MEDICAL NURSING: VACCINATIONS / IMMUNISATION: A Palestinian nurse prepares to vaccinate a baby at a medical clinic for pediatric vaccinations in the West Bank city of Hebron, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2006. The clinic which normally treats some 1,500 babies a month with inoculations for small pox, measles, and tuberculosis, opened Saturday for only two hours, and has been closed the past month due to a general strike by Palestinian civil servants demanding unpaid wages from the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government. (AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi)

MEDICAL NURSING: VACCINATIONS / IMMUNISATION: A Palestinian nurse prepares to vaccinate a baby at a medical clinic for pediatric vaccinations in the West Bank city of Hebron, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2006. The clinic which normally treats some 1,500 babies a month with inoculations for small pox, measles, and tuberculosis, opened Saturday for only two hours, and has been closed the past month due to a general strike by Palestinian civil servants demanding unpaid wages from the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government. (AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi)

Published Jan 5, 2016

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Cape Town - In preparation for the 2016 school year, the City of Cape Town advised parents to have their children's health checked and vaccinations updated.

“Your child is going to spend many hours of the day alongside dozens or hundreds of others at their creche or school and we know how quickly illness can spread,” said Siyabulela Mamkelithe, the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Health.

“As a parent, you can mitigate the risk of your child falling ill by making sure that their vaccinations are up to date and that their nutritional needs are met.”

Mamkeli said vaccinations were available free of charge at the City's Health clinics and thus appealed to parents to set aside time ahead of the school year. “It's a quick jab in the arm, but it's a long-term investment in your child's health and it also means that you can get on with other important things knowing that their health checks are taken care of.

“ Mamkeli added that City Health could also check children's vitals as well as their height and weight, which serves as indicators of malnutrition. “For those parents who might not know where to begin, our staff are on hand to assist and provide guidance,” said Mamkeli.

ANA

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