St Thomas intensifies back-to-school and vaccination drive

The St Thomas Health Department is ramping up efforts to promote the well-being of children through its Back-to-School and Vaccination Drive, aimed at identifying and addressing potential health concerns before the start of the 2026/27 academic year in September.

The latest staging of the initiative was held on Saturday at the Morant Bay Health Centre, where more than 150 students from the early-childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions accessed medical assessments and a range of other services.

The event, held from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, under the theme ‘Healthy Children: Stronger Communities, Brighter Futures’, was the penultimate staging in a five-part series organised by the St Thomas Health Department to assist students requiring medical examinations for admission to school come September.

Medical Officer of Health, Dr D’Oyen Smith, said the initiative is primarily aimed at ensuring that as many children as possible receive health assessments and that any potential health concerns are identified and addressed early.

“What has happened throughout the year is many children would enter school, they would have illnesses that nobody would know of and that would need to be managed… then it happens in the middle of the school year when nobody’s able to help them. So, our intention is to identify those children who may have any challenges and to facilitate them being identified early and managed,” he explained.

Dr Smith indicated that the assessment process includes comprehensive medical and vision examinations, as well as checks to ensure that students’ vaccinations are up to date.

He noted that the eye examinations are particularly important, as undiagnosed vision problems can adversely affect a child’s ability to learn and perform well in school.

“It’s often not recognised and the children get disruptive… thinking that they need to get attention in that way. So, we’re doing eye assessments for them and, if necessary, sending them to specialists… ophthalmologists,” the medical officer added.

Dr Smith told JIS News that the Health Department is also prioritising vaccinations.

“We’re ensuring that their vaccinations are up-to-date and, in particular, we’re ensuring there’s the provision of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine for those children… males, nine to 14… and for the females, nine until they’re through their school years,” he outlined.

Dr Smith said the programme forms part of the health department's broader strategy to partner with agencies, churches and community-based organisations to improve access to healthcare services across the parish.

“We’re trying to be as comprehensive as possible… and so, next week, we’re going to Cedar Valley. For the rest of September, we’ll be partnering with other agencies, churches, and community-based organisations to provide those same medical services within their own… back-to-school fairs,” he added.

The series began at Yallahs Baptist Church on July 25, followed by health fairs at the Isaac Barrant Health Centre in Hampton Court on August 8, and Seaforth Health Centre on August 15. The final event is scheduled for the Cedar Valley Health Centre on August 29.

Dr Smith said it is an important component of the parish’s disease-prevention efforts.

He explained that the screenings and vaccination checks help health officials identify potential health risks early, allowing for timely intervention and treatment where necessary.

“One of the [most] important things is prevention, which is our main job. We’re looking to ensure everybody’s vaccinated appropriately, so that there is no kind of an outbreak that we could prevent,” the medical officer emphasised.

Dr Smith is also encouraging parents to make regular health assessments a priority for their children, particularly as they prepare to return to school.

“It’s important for parents to always look at what their children’s needs are, to regularly have them assessed, and to give them the support that they need,” he said.

- JIS

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