Immunisation CHILDREN SAY THAT WE CAN

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Francis Weaver
5 years ago
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Immunisation protects children against some of the worst causes of childhood death and disability and helps people live longer, healthier lives.

Older children can help spread awareness and publicise health clinic immunisation times or events, take younger siblings to be immunised and help

Scroll down to read our Top Ten messages on Immunisation for children to learn and share, plus ideas on what children can do to understand, find

1 Immunisation protects children against some of the worst causes of childhood death and disability and helps people live longer, healthier lives. Older children can learn the facts about immunisation Why? When? And How? Older children can help spread awareness and publicise health clinic immunisation times or events, take younger siblings to be immunised and help to keep records of immunisations. Scroll down to read our Top Ten messages on Immunisation for children to learn and share, plus ideas on what children can do to understand, find out more, take action and reflect on this topic. CHILDREN SAY THAT WE CAN MAKE our own Immunisation Messages using our own words in our own language! LEARN these messages so we never forget them! ADD these messages to our collection! SHARE these messages with other children and our families! Immunisation ChildrenforHealth.org Page 1

2 Message 1 Millions of parents all over the world every year make sure their children grow strong and are protected from diseases by taking them for immunisation. Millions of children die every year from diseases we can stop with immunisation. It s important to know when and where to get immunised, we can help find this out. All children have a right to be immunised, so they can grow up healthy and strong. We can find out more about our rights in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. About immunisations in my country and when we can get immunised. Find out about the diseases immunisations protect us against. Make posters for immunisation days and display them where everyone can see them. Immunisation ChildrenforHealth.org Page 2

3 Message 2 When you are ill with an infectious disease, a tiny, invisible germ has entered your body. The germ makes more germs and stops your body working well. Microbes are germs (bacteria) or viruses and they make us ill. When we are ill microbes make more of themselves and are spread on our hands or when we cough or sneeze. We can get immunised so that we are protected from some of the most dangerous microbes like measles, polio, pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus. Make a play about stopping the killer diseases harming children in our village. Make a story with pictures of superhero immunisations fighting the deadly diseases to protects us. Do you know the six killer diseases? (Answer: Diphtheria, Measles & Rubella, Pertussis, Tuberculosis, Tetanus, Polio). About the diseases immunisations protect us against. About polio and helping children with disabilities. Take action: Make posters for immunisation days and display them where everyone can see them. There are 25 diseases that can be prevented by immunisation and this poster shows all of them as microbes. Immunisation ChildrenforHealth.org Page 3

4 Message 3 Your body has special soldier like protectors called antibodies to fight germs. When germs are killed, antibodies stay in your body ready to fight more. Our body makes antibodies to protect us but sometimes it can t them fast enough to protect us. Immunisation helps our body to make antibodies ready to protect us against disease. Children who are sick or weak also need protection from immunisation. Mothers first yellow milk gives antibodies to babies to protect them against disease. We can make up a play or story about Aunty Body the kind, strong protector that keeps safe and well. Immunisation ChildrenforHealth.org Page 4

5 Message 4 Immunisation puts an antigen into your body (by injection or by mouth). They teach your body to make the soldier like antibodies to fight a disease. Antigens are messengers that tell your body to make antibodies to protect you against a disease. Antigens are safe, they don t make you ill. An antigen makes your body pretend to be fighting the disease so it makes lots of special, protective antibodies. After we have had all our immunisations we will always be safe from the killer diseases. Immunisation ChildrenforHealth.org Page 5

6 Message 5 Some immunisations have to be given more than once to help your body build up enough antibodies to protect against a disease. We have immunisations several times to help our bodies make enough antibodies to have strong protection. It s important we have all of our immunisations to be protected against disease. We can find out when to be immunised on our country s immunisation schedule. We can find out which immunisations we need more than once. We can help find children who have missed immunisations and remind them on immunisation day. Immunisation ChildrenforHealth.org Page 6

7 Message 6 Horrible diseases that cause death and suffering like measles, tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, and tetanus (and more!) can be prevented by immunisation. Find out more about each killer disease so we can recognise if someone is sick. Children can be protected against TB meningitis by immunisation. Babies need their immunisations when they are six weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks old. Do you know the six killer diseases? Diphtheria Measles & Rubella Pertussis Tuberculosis Tetanus Polio Learn about each of the diseases and share what we learn with our parents. Make a poster of the diseases and how to recognise them. Find out what the disease s evil super powers are and how immunisation protects us. Immunisation ChildrenforHealth.org Page 7

8 Message 7 To protect your body you need to be immunised before the disease strikes. Millions of babies die before their first birthday from diseases that can be prevented by immunisation. Getting babies immunised in the first weeks of life to gives them the best chance of growing healthy and strong. We need all our immunisations to be protected against disease; if we miss one we can catch up if we have it later. If anyone in our family had one of the killer diseases and find out what happened to them. Make a birthday card for a new baby with when they need immunisations. Check everyone in our class and our teacher have all had their immunisations. Immunisation ChildrenforHealth.org Page 8

9 Message 8 To protect children right away immunisations are given to babies. If a baby missed their chance they can be immunised later. Babies are most at risk to the killer diseases. All babies need immunisations at birth: six weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks. If a baby misses one of their immunisations, they can have it later and get protected. Make a birthday card for a new baby with the times of their immunisations to wish them a happy and healthy first year of life! Immunisation ChildrenforHealth.org Page 9

10 Message 9 Children can be immunised at different times for different diseases. Find out when and where your community immunises children. We can catch up with immunisations they have missed on immunisation days or health weeks. Find out which diseases we can be immunised against and understand the immunisation schedule for our country. Find out if my country has special immunisation days and health weeks when all children and babies can go for immunisations. Find out if anyone in my family has missed their immunisations so they can catch up. Immunisation ChildrenforHealth.org Page 10

11 Message 10 If babies or young children are a little unwell on the day of immunisation they can still be immunised. It is still safe to immunise a baby or child if they are unwell and important they get their immunisations too. It is important for babies and children to have our immunisations especially if we are weak or not growing, to protect us from diseases that are dangerous. We can look after other children when our mother takes the baby to be immunised. We can help soothe the baby after their immunisations if they cry. We can make a card for our mother and her baby to remind her to take the baby to be immunised. Immunisation ChildrenforHealth.org Page 11

12 All 10 Messages 1. Millions of parents all over the world every year make sure their children grow strong and are protected from diseases by taking them for immunisation. 2. When you are ill with an infectious disease, a tiny, invisible germ has entered your body. The germ makes more germs and stops your body working well. 3. Your body has special soldier like protectors called antibodies to fight germs. When germs are killed, antibodies stay in your body ready to fight more. 4. Immunisation puts an antigen into your body (by injection or by mouth). They teach your body to make the soldier like antibodies to fight a disease. 5. Some immunisations have to be given more than once to help your body build up enough antibodies to protect against a disease. 6. Horrible diseases that cause death and suffering like measles, tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, and tetanus (and more!) can be prevented by immunisation. 7. To protect your body you need to be immunised before the disease strikes. 8. To protect children right away immunisations are given to babies. If a baby missed their chance they can be immunised later. 9. Children can be immunised at different times for different diseases. Find out when and where your community immunises children. 10. If babies or young children are a little unwell on the day of immunisation they can still be immunised. Immunisation ChildrenforHealth.org Page 12

IMMUNISATION. Diseases that can be prevented by immunisation

IMMUNISATION. Diseases that can be prevented by immunisation IMMUNISATION THE IDEA Every year, millions of children die, and five million are disabled, from diseases which could have been prevented by immunisation against the germs which cause them. Children can