The Department of Public Health offered vaccinations in the Marathon Mall this weekend. 

Nurse Joyanne Cartwright, a nurse at the Gambier Clinic, told the Journal  why it is important for children to keep up-to-date with their shots. 

She said, “some people feel that it makes you sick or that there is some conspiracy behind it, but I just want everyone to know that if we do not vaccinate; we will have a huge problem on our hands, especially as a small country.”

She added, “the reason we are so healthy right now is because the majority of people do vaccinate, and it’s those vaccinated children vaccinated adults that are keeping the non-vaccinated people safe.”

She encouraged those on the fence about vaccinations to come out, ask questions, and conduct personal research before making a decision. 

Nurses stationed at public clinics across the capital offered an array of vaccinations last Saturday ranging from regular flu shots to the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). 

HPV has been a point of concern in recent years as it causes a number of ailments, and vaccinations are offered between the ages of 9-25.

Nurse Cartwright said,“HPV is a virus that can cause all sorts of cancers – cervical cancer, vulvar cancer, anal cancer, genital warts.”

She added, “It’s pretty much something that we give people before they’re sexually active, and while they’re sexually active in their prime to prevent these things from happening.” 

She also said that the HPV vaccination is a series of three shots where patients receive the second two months after the first and the third 4 months after the second. 

Nurse Cartwright  encourages  all members of the public to take advantage of the public clinics as they offer all vaccinations free of charge.