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3 days ago
HUDA ALSADA
Public Health measure in Saudi Arabia- Vaccination Reminder Service
C OLLA PSE
Introduction
The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia established the Vaccination Reminder Service
to facilitate the implementation of childhood vaccination, which is a crucial public health
intervention. In order to safeguard the health of children in the Kingdom and protect them, as
well as all members of society, from diseases, the Ministry has implemented a service to
notify parents of the scheduled dates for essential vaccinations. This service follows the
Ministry of Health’s updated vaccination schedule. A reminder containing the vaccination
date will be sent to parents via mobile phone or email one week prior to the scheduled
vaccination. (Ministry of Health, n.d.)
Origin and Philosophy
Studies indicate that 32.9% and 26.6% of instances where infants miss vaccinations
are likely attributed to the absence of prior reminders provided to parents and the
forgetfulness of parents. (Patel & Pandit, 2011) Consequently, the implementation of a
reminder system for children’s vaccinations involved significant effort. The utilization of
technology and new media will improve compliance with children’s immunization schedules.
Research has revealed that 25% of parents opt to utilize modern technologies to receive
vaccination reminders. (Clark et al., 2011) The establishment of this service has involved
numerous efforts by the Saudi government and initiatives by the MOH to safeguard the
community’s health and protect children from illnesses. (Vaccination Reminder Service,
n.d.)
Impact on Citizens
The MOH mobile reminder service serves as a valuable tool for professionals to
maintain regular communication with parents, filter vaccine-related information obtained
from the general media and acquaintances and notify parents about any potential
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misinformation or misunderstandings. These measures are more likely to guarantee that
parents have reliable and comprehensive information when deciding on vaccinations for their
children. (Alshammari et al., 2017) Therefore, strictly following established vaccination
schedules may significantly reduce the incidence of preventable childhood diseases.
Effectiveness
The rural population is expected to benefit the most from these services in terms of
effectiveness since they can efficiently manage their time and, if needed, organize
transportation to reach the healthcare facility. Using reminders is advantageous for everyone,
but especially beneficial for individuals living in remote areas. This is due to the correlation
between the method of transportation and childhood immunization. Parents with higher
socioeconomic status are more inclined to use private transportation when visiting primary
healthcare centers, in contrast to parents with lower income levels. Accordingly, parents who
used a car to transport their children to the primary healthcare center (PHC) were more
inclined to ensure that their children received all the necessary vaccinations during childhood,
compared to parents who either walked or used other means of transportation. (Alabadi et al.,
2022)
Recommendations for Improvement
An additional reminder is required to enhance the services, as the issue of delays
remains a concern. The primary reported cause of delayed immunization was the failure to
remember the scheduled appointment. Indeed, the utilization of reminder and recall services
proves to be efficacious in enhancing immunization rates. (Hobani & Alhalal, 2022) Parents
are supposed to be aware of the importance of vaccination and how they may track the
immunization schedule using modern technology. Nowadays, in addition to traditional
reminders, there are also apps available for convenient access to this information. These apps
need to be maintained for ongoing enhancement as well. Health education is necessary at
outpatient clinics and primary care centers, especially for mothers with lower levels of
education, to enhance awareness and rectify any misunderstandings regarding childhood
vaccination. (Abuharba & Algarni, 2022)
Conclusion
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The commitment to immunizing children rests with their parents. Hence, the attitudes,
knowledge, and perceptions of parents regarding vaccination play a crucial role in
influencing their decisions to ensure timely and comprehensive immunization. (Alabadi &
Aldawood, 2020) The vaccine reminder service intends to streamline the immunization
process for children by ensuring effective communication with their parents.
References
Abuharba, W. A., & Algarni, A. M. (2022). Knowledge and attitude of mothers towards
childhood vaccination in Taif, Saudi Arabia. ˜ the œJournal of Medicine, Law and
Public Health, 2(2), 98–107.
Alabadi, M., Alashoor, T., Aldawood, O., Qanbar, Z., & Aldawood, Z. (2022). Exploring
critical factors associated with completion of childhood immunisation in the Eastern
Province of Saudi Arabia. Vaccines, 10(12),
2147.
Alabadi, M., & Aldawood, Z. (2020). Parents’ knowledge, attitude and perceptions on
childhood vaccination in Saudi Arabia: A systematic literature
review. Vaccines, 8(4), 750.
Alshammari, T. M., Subaiea, G. M., Hussain, T., Moin, A., & Yusuff, K. B. (2017). Parental
perceptions, attitudes and acceptance of childhood immunization in Saudi Arabia: A
cross sectional study. Vaccine, 36(1), 23–
28.
Clark, S. J., Butchart, A., Kennedy, A., & Dombkowski, K. J. (2011). Parents’ experiences
with and preferences for immunization Reminder/Recall
technologies. Pediatrics, 128(5), e1100–
e1105.
Hobani, F., & Alhalal, E. (2022). Factors related to parents’ adherence to childhood
immunization. BMC Public Health, 22(1).
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Ministry of Health. (n.d.). Children vaccinations reminder
service.
ription.aspx
Patel, T. A., & Pandit, N. B. (2011). Why infants miss vaccination during routine
immunization sessions? Study in a rural area of Anand district, Gujarat. Indian
Journal of Public Health/Indian Journal of Public Health, 55(4),
321.
Vaccination reminder service. (n.d.). Ministry of
Health.
aspx
4 days ago
YAZEED ALKHLIFAH
Public Health Measures in Saudi Arabia
C OLLA PSE
Introduction
A public health measure describes an approach implemented by communities,
healthcare organizations, or governments to safeguard and enhance the health of people. The
objectives of such measures are to prevent the spread of diseases, prolong life, and enhance
health through informed choices and organized efforts of the governments, communities,
private and public sectors, and individuals. For this reason, the social distance as one measure
implanted by the Saudi Arabian government during the COVID-19 pandemic is discussed
based on its origin and philosophy and how it affected the population. Furthermore, the paper
reveals whether the measure (social distance) was effective or not and how it could be
improved.
Origin and Philosophy Behind Social Distance
Social distance or staying away from one another is significant during disease
outbreaks without proper preventive measures or cures. As a result, during the COVID-19
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outbreak, different countries, including Saudi Arabia, adopted social distancing to curb the
spread of the disease. The concept of social distance began in 1963 by the cultural
anthropologist Edward Hall. He used the term “Proxemics” to describe the research about
social distance. During this time, people did not know a virus could interfere with human
closeness. The concern of Hall at this time was that the distance (closeness) between two
individuals is likely to upsurge auditory, olfactory, or tactile stimulation to a level that forces
disruption and reacting negatively. During the COVID-19 outbreak, the concept became
handy in managing the pandemic.
How Social Distance Affected Saudi Arabian Population
Saudi Arabia was among the first countries which introduce various measures to
circumvent the spread of COVID-19. The social distance took the lead in every public health
measure considered by the Saudi Arabian government. Social distance practices encompass
travel bans, imposing curfews, closing of non-essential shops, and suspending religious
activities. These activities affected the way Saudi Arabians typically run their business. For
instance, they could not move freely, attend worship places, or attend markets. In workplaces,
employees were introduced to activities that are demanding, such as washing hands
continuously whenever they touched different places. Even though these activities were
helpful, they took time to follow them successfully.
Effectiveness of Social Distance and its Improvement
According to Sayed (2021), the social distance measure was effective. For instance, it
contributed to enhancing public behavior and awareness of COVID-19 control measures. As
a result, the country managed to lower cases of COVID-19 than anticipated in its early stages.
Furthermore, it contributed to the lowest COVID-19 hospital rates in other developed nations
with better healthcare set-up (Sayed, 2021).
Even though the country was successful in adopting social distance, improving its
measures could boost its positive impacts to a greater extent. Some of the improvements
include introducing cashless shopping and traveling. These approaches would prevent the
spread of any outbreak similar to COVID-19.
Conclusion
Saudi Arabia adopted the social distance measure to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The adoption was successful, and it reduced the number of cases of COVID-19. Edward Hall
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commenced the concept of social distance in 1963. However, during its conception, nobody
knew it would one day be relevant, which all countries across the globe would consider as
one of the effective measures for preventing the spread and effects of the outbreak.
References
Sayed, A.A. (2021). The Progressive Public Measures of Saudi Arabia to Tackle
COVID-19 and Limit Its Spread. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 18(2), 19. Doi: 10.3390/ijerph18020783
Szasz, G. (2020). Social distance origin and effects. BC Medical
Journal.

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