The Singapore Family Physician

Back to issue Vol 36 No. 2 - Vaccinations 2010 - What’s Old, What’s New

Value of Vaccination

Goh Lee Gan
The Singapore Family Physician Vol 36 No 2 - Vaccinations 2010 - What’s Old, What’s New
8 - 10
1 April 2017
0377-5305
Healthcare workers have an important role in helping the public understand and maintain an informed view of the value of vaccinations. Anti-vaccine sentiments arise out of misunderstanding, true adverse effects, and scares from unproven associations. personal experiences, value systems and level of trust in health professionals determine parental decisions to accept vaccination for their children. Vaccine advocacy implies the need on the part of healthcare workers for the best knowledge, the best moral attitudes, and the best public health practice in the use of vaccines to protect the population. The public needs to be aware of the contribution of vaccination to the reduction of vaccine-preventable disease burden. There is a need for surveillance for adverse events and to take action to reduce these if they are due to errors. Planning and delivery issues also need attention.