#VaccinesWork for All
The aim of World Immunization Week is to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease. The week takes place from 24-30 April. Every year, millions of lives are saved thanks to immunization and it is recognized widely as one of the most successful and cost effective health interventions. However, nearly 20 million children are still unvaccinated and under-vaccinated worldwide, with 1.7 million living in the Western Pacific Region.
Thanks to the immunization programme, 21 countries and areas in the Western Pacific Region eliminated hepatitis B in young children, nine eliminated measles, five eliminated rubella, and the whole region has sustained elimination of wild polio virus. However, immunity gaps still remain, and vaccine-preventable disease are coming back. For example, in 2019, measles resurged in the region, with outbreaks in multiple countries and devastating impact in some of them.
With the theme #VaccinesWork for All, the campaign focuses on how vaccines are effective to protect everyone from vaccine-preventable diseases, as well as celebrating “vaccine champions”, the people who develop, deliver and receive the vaccines, and work to protect the health of everyone, everywhere.
Key messages:
- Over the last three decades vaccines made the Western Pacific Region healthier and safer, with new generations free from diseases like polio and hepatitis B
- Vaccines are the most successful, safe, cost-effective way to protect everyone against serious and often deadly diseases such as measles, polio, and even some forms of cancer.
- Immunization is a shared responsibility—families, health workers, and public health officials must work together to help protect entire communities.
Immunization and COVID-19:
- During COVID-19 pandemic, immunization services should be maintained to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases (such as measles and polio) if safety of health care workers and communities can be ensured.
- It is important to complete your vaccination schedule to be fully protected against disease such as polio, measles, hepatitis B, diphtheria. If you have missed vaccination doses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reach out to your vaccination provider to understand when and how to receive any missed vaccine doses.
WHO has released new guidance to help countries protect critical immunization services during the COVID-19 pandemic, so that ground is not lost in the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases.
Routine immunization services during the COVID-19 pandemic (WPRO guidelines)
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