Immunisation
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.
Use the message tabs on the left to read our Top Ten Messages on Immunisation for children to learn and share. Scroll down to see ideas on what children can do to understand, find out more, take action and reflect on this topic.
Download our 100 Messages PDF to have a copy of all our messages for printing and sharing. View our Immunisation messages in Many Languages and download some FREE Resources associated with this topic.
MESSAGE ONE
Immunisation means being protected against a disease.
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.
MESSAGE TWO
When we have a disease, harmful germs can enter our bodies and cause us to be ill.
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.
MESSAGE THREE
To fight disease, our body produces antibodies and these antibodies fight the germs. After the fight, antibodies remember the germs and can fight even better if the germs come into the body again.
Our body makes antibodies to protect us – but sometimes it can’t make 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.
MESSAGE FOUR
Vaccines by injection or mouth teach the body to make antibodies against a certain disease.
MESSAGE FIVE
To be able to fight some diseases, you need to have vaccinations more than once to build up enough antibodies.
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.
MESSAGE SIX
Vaccinations save millions of lives! They prevent or weaken the effect of diseases like measles, tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, and tetanus and COVID-19.
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?
MESSAGE SEVEN
To protect our body, it is best to be vaccinated before the germs enter our body BUT we can be vaccinated and protected at any age.
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.
MESSAGE EIGHT
Every country has a vaccination schedule showing which vaccine to get at what age and how often to get it.
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.
MESSAGE NINE
After some vaccinations, we can feel a little tired, weak or have a sore arm or develop a fever. This is normal. The body is using energy to develop antibodies to make the body stronger.
MESSAGE TEN
Some people are afraid of vaccines or can have strong feelings against them, but health workers and the scientists who created the vaccines want people to live healthy lives. Listen to their advice.
Immunisation content from the blog…
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Children can
learn, collect & share these messages!
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!
WHAT CAN CHILDREN MAKE?
MAKE posters for immunisation days and display them where everyone can see them.
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.
THERE are 25 diseases that can be prevented by immunisation, make a poster that shows all of them as microbes.
MAKE up a play or story about Aunty Body – the kind, strong protector that keeps safe and well.
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.
MAKE a birthday card for a new baby and their mother with the times of their immunisations to wish them a happy and healthy first year of life!
WHAT CAN CHILDREN DO?
FIND out about the 25 diseases immunisations protect us against.
FIND out more about polio and helping children with disabilities.
READ the story about the Killers’ Committee and then make a story of our own.
TAKE a quiz to find how much we know about immunisation.
FIND out which immunisations we need more than once. We can help find children who have missed immunisations and remind them on immunisation day.
FIND out what the disease’s evil super powers are and how immunisation protects us.
CHECK everyone in our class and our teachers have all had their immunisations.
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.
WHAT CAN CHILDREN ASK?
ABOUT immunisations in my country and when we can get immunised.
DO you know the six killer diseases? Diphtheria, Measles & Rubella, Pertussis, Tuberculosis, Tetanus & Polio
IF anyone in our family had one of the killer diseases and find out what happened to them.
When teaching children these messages, it can be be hard to hold their interest in the topic and keep energy up. For ideas on keeping children engaged and excited, look at Closing Games & Activities.
ALL 10 MESSAGES
IMMUNISATION
- Immunisation means being protected against a disease.
- When we have a disease, harmful germs can enter our bodies and cause us to be ill.
- To fight disease, our body produces antibodies and these antibodies fight the germs. After the fight, antibodies remember the germs and can fight even better if the germs come into the body again.
- Vaccines by injection or mouth teach the body to make antibodies against a certain disease.
- To be able to fight some diseases, you need to have vaccinations more than once to build up enough antibodies.
- Vaccinations save millions of lives! They prevent or weaken the effect of diseases like measles, tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, and tetanus and COVID-19.
- To protect our body, it is best to be vaccinated before the germs enter our body BUT we can be vaccinated and protected at any age.
- Every country has a vaccination schedule showing which vaccine to get at what age and how often to get it.
- After some vaccinations, we can feel a little tired, weak or have a sore arm or develop a fever. This is normal. The body is using energy to develop antibodies to make the body stronger.
- Some people are afraid of vaccines or can have strong feelings against them, but health workers and the scientists who created the vaccines want people to live healthy lives. Listen to their advice.
