March Topic | Immunisation | What Children Can Do?
Our March topic is Immunisation.
Our 100 Health Messages for Children to Learn and Share are simple, reliable health education messages aimed at children aged 8-14, this includes young adolescents aged 10-14. We feel that it is especially useful and important to make sure that young adolescents are informed as this age group often cares for young children in their families. Also, it’s important to recognise and praise the work they are doing to help their families in this way.
The messages are arranged as 10 messages in 10 key health topics: Malaria, Diarrhoea, Nutrition, Coughs, Colds & Pneumonia, Intestinal Worms, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene, Immunisation, HIV & Aids, Accidents & Preventing Injuries and Caring for Babies & Young Children. The simple health messages are for parents and health educators to use with children at home and in schools, clubs and clinics.
Our messages on Immunisation
- 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.
- When you are ill with an infectious disease, a tiny, invisible germ has entered your body. This germ makes more germs and stops your body working well.
- Your body has special soldier-like protectors called antibodies to fight germs. When germs are killed, antibodies stay in your body ready to fight again.
- Immunisation puts antigens into your body (by injection or by mouth). They teach your body to make the solider-like antibodies to fight a disease.
- Some immunisations have to be given more than once to help your body build up enough antibodies to protect against a disease.
- Horrible diseases that cause death and suffering, like measles, tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio and tetanus (and more!), can be prevented by immunisation.
- To protect your body you need to be immunised before the disease strikes.
- To protect children right away immunisations are given to babies. If a baby misses their chance they can be immunised later.
- Children can be immunised at different times for different diseases. Find out when and where your community immunises children.
- If babies or young children are a little unwell on the day of immunisation they can still be immunised.
These health messages have been reviewed by expert health educators and medical experts and are available on the Health ORB website too.
What can children Make, Do & Ask to better understand this topic?
Here are some ideas for activities children can do to understand more about our March topic and share the messages with others.
- MAKE our own IMMUNISATION messages using our own words in our own language!
- MEMORISE the messages so we never forget them!
- SHARE these messages with other children and our families!
- MAKE posters for immunisation days and display them where everyone can see them.
- MAKE a play about stopping killer diseases harming children in our village.
- MAKE a story with pictures of superhero immunisations fighting the deadly diseases to protect us.
- MAKE A POSTER of one or more diseases that can be prevented by immunisation like Diphtheria, Measles & Rubella, Pertussis, Tuberculosis, Tetanus & Polio.
- MAKE up a play or story about Aunty Body: a kind, strong protector that keeps us safe and well.
- LEARN about each of the diseases and share what we learn with other children and our families.
- MAKE a special 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!
- FIND out more about the many diseases that immunisations protect us against.
- FIND out more about helping children with disabilities.
- MAKE UP and TAKE A QUIZ to find how much we know about immunisation. Share it with friends and family.
- FIND out which immunisations we need more than once. And help FIND children who missed immunisations.
- FIND out what the disease’s SUPER POWERS are and how immunisation defeats these powers.
- CHECK everyone in our class and our teachers have all had their immunisations.
- FIND out if there are special immunisation events or 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.
- ASK about immunisations in my country and WHEN we can get immunised.
- FIND OUT if anyone in our family had one of the killer diseases and find out what happened to them.
For more information on the killer diseases and preventing them or
to learn more about our March topic see Immunisation!
For anything else, e-mail clare@childrenforhealth.org
