During World Immunization Week, which runs from 24 to 30 April, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners highlights the benefits of vaccines at all stages of lifeas well as the scientific breakthroughs that have led to tested inoculations against infection by malaria, HPV, cholera, dengue, meningitis, RSV, Ebola and mpox.
This year marks the centerpiece of the Immunization Agenda 2030, a global push, led by WHO, to ensure that everyone can benefit from life-saving vaccines. A report released to assess the progress made so far found that despite unprecedented challenges – including the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical instability, climate disruption and limited funding – immunization efforts over the past five years have averted millions of deaths.
However, most of the targets remain off trackwith persistent gaps in routine coverage, equity and prevention of outbreaks across many countries.
The UN health agency calls for renewed commitment to building more sustainable national programs, stronger integration with primary health care and more prioritization from global health agencies and partners.
Great results for children
On Friday, the WHO, together with the United Nations Children’s Agency (UNICEF) and the Vaccine Alliance (GAVI), announced that The Big Catch-Up, a historic international effort to address vaccination declines driven largely by the COVID-19 pandemic, has reached an estimated 18.3 million children aged one to five in 36 countriessince it was launched in 2023.
The campaign also provided 23 million doses of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) to unvaccinated and undervaccinated children, an important intervention towards polio eradication. The initiative is is expected to be on track to meet its goal of vaccinating at least 21 million children.
Watch a UN video report from New Jersey where a family reflects on how vaccinations help protect the youngest members of society so they can grow up safe enough to just be children. The report will be available on Pakinomist next week.
