Vaccination reminder service is saving lives!! Learn how

A recent study by U-M’s School of Public Health revealed a shocking fact that only 18%of children are completely vaccinated with the recommended three doses of DPT vaccine and only about a third receive the first dose of measles by 10 months under the Universal Immunization program by the government.

What stops people from getting their children vaccinated with even the free essential vaccines? Why do they compromise their children’s health? Incomplete and delayed vaccination, both make the child drastically vulnerable to deadly diseases that can be easily prevented by vaccines. India has the highest number of deaths in children up to 5 years of age and that too, largely from the vaccine-preventable diseases. Ironically, India is the largest producer and exporter of vaccines. So, lack of available vaccines can’t be a problem definitely.

The major problem speculated by Dr. Shrivastava  is a  lack of good record-keeping. Paper based Immunization cards issued to the new parent has the high probability of getting lost or misplaced, making it hard to place vaccination history and do future vaccinations in absence of that.

Developed countries too have vaccination gaps due to superstitions attached to side effects of vaccines. Mostly, parents simply forget to take their children for vaccinations in between their busy schedules. Sadly, people are simply unaware of the possibility of an outbreak of a deadly disease due to this delay. About 90% vaccination coverage is required to maintain herd immunity in an area to avoid such outbreaks.  It is very unfortunate to see children dying of diseases which are easily preventable by vaccines.  Diseases should have been extinct from the planet if vaccines were taken seriously. Viruses and bacteria are everywhere, they loom in the air and soil. Why not protect your child at the right time even before he or she is exposed to the dreaded pathogens in the environment? Vaccines should be given at an appropriate age and in recommended doses, maintaining proper gaps to maximize the immune response generated by them in a child.

Immunization chart is an important document based on interpretations of thorough research and understanding of vaccine responses in individuals at a certain age. They should be followed religiously to avoid hiccups like, “How is it possible that our baby got Measles even after the doctor had given the vaccine?” You forgot one thing here, you might have been late for vaccination!! Your baby might have come across the virus at his friend’s birthday party just before the vaccine was given. All the vaccines take about 2 weeks to generate the required immune response. Then, why not give all the vaccines as early as possible to the babies. Exactly, that is why babies are given multiple vaccines in one doctor visit.  Vaccines are quite effective if all the recommended doses are given following the right schedule.

Vaccinebox (VB) app helps you to stay bang on schedule!!

Your doctor also gives you a paper chart. It is hard to adhere to the chart as handwritten ones are sometimes confusing and not readable. And, every doctor will not call you to remind about the vaccination visit. It is not cost effective and a quite time-consuming task to call every patient in a busy doctor’s clinic. For a parent, it is completely human to miss the dates you had to take your child for vaccination. After all, there are hundreds of other chores, parents need to handle. App based reminders help you to plan the Doctor’s visit in advance. VB sends you 3 reminders for every vaccination visit on your registered email address 5 days before, 1 day before and 2 days after the due date. You will also get SMS reminder 3 days prior to due date. You must be wondering, how much will you have to pay for this service. It is absolutely FREE for life.Why are we giving this free? It just feels great to read messages by our users like,”Thank you for reminding”. All these efforts seem worthwhile. We will keep your charts safe with us always. You can always access it on your phone or laptop anytime.

There are many vaccination reminder services you must have come across. What sets Vaccinebox app apart from other free vaccination reminder services running across India? You get a tailor made vaccination chart for your baby based on his/her sex and birthdate. Charts are based on latest recommendations by Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP). All the doctors follow the IAP chart in India. We have hundreds of doctors registered with us who are using the same chart for managing vaccinations of their patients and also give us regular feedback. You get to update the vaccination chart every time you take your child for vaccination. Parents can enter the actual date of vaccination and the vaccine brand. If you fail to visit your doctor on the suggested date, the app takes care of rescheduling the future vaccination dates automatically based on the required minimum time gap between doses after you enter the actual vaccination date. An updated vaccination history of your child will not only give you added confidence about immunization of your child but also gives you an opportunity to discuss cost and benefits of future vaccination visits with your doctor. App has the database of all the possible vaccine products with its contents and cost details.

 

The updated chart neatly displays the vaccine name and dose number along with brand administered and the date of visit. Parents feel well informed with the content regularly posted to their mailbox, which is specially curated with the knowledge about “what developmental milestones to expect in the growing baby”. Ask question feature on the website lets you post your queries on vaccination and child growth. Many parents are already benefited by this.

26 million children are born in India every year, the largest number of births in any country of the world. Taking care of immunization delays and improving adherence can have a great impact on the global scenario of warding off diseases from the world.

Vaccinebox is trying to do its bit by increasing awareness about vaccines and helping parents to never miss a vaccine dose. A dose missed is a missed opportunity to save a life when you easily can!!

Please share our article on the social media to make us reach millions of parents who might need our service. 

Reference: Study abstract: Vaccination Timeliness in Children under India’s Universal Immunization Program

2016 Sep;35(9):955-60.

http://ns.umich.edu/new/releases/23958-most-kids-in-india-lack-timely-vaccinations