Kolkata: Immunization saves millions of lives and is widely recognized as one of the world’s most successful and cost-effective health interventions. Yet, there are more than 19 million unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children in the world, putting them at serious risk of these potentially fatal Diseases.
Of these children, 1 out of 10 never receive any vaccinations, and most likely have never been seen by the health system. World Immunization Week – celebrated in the last week of April – aims to highlight the collective action needed to ensure that every person is protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.To do so, governments must invest in immunization efforts, advocates must make vaccines a priority, and people must get themselves and their families vaccinated.
The goal of World Immunization Week 2018 is to urge greater action on immunization around the world, with a particular focus on spotlighting the role that everyone can play in this effort, from donors to individuals.As part of the 2018 campaign, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and partners aim to highlight the importance of immunization, and the remaining gaps in global coverage, underscore the value of vaccines to target donor countries and the importance of investing in immunization efforts and highlight the ways in which everyone – from donors to individuals – can and must drive vaccine progress.
Immunization prevents illness, disability and death from vaccine-preventable diseases including cervical cancer, diphtheria, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, pertussis (whooping cough), pneumonia, polio, rotavirus diarrhoea, rubella and tetanus.Global vaccination coverage has stalled at 86 per cent, with no significant changes during the past year. Uptake of new and underused vaccines is increasing.
Immunization averts an estimated 2 to 3 million deaths every year from diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), and measles; however, an additional 1.5 million deaths could be avoided if global vaccination coverage improves.Global vaccination coverage – the proportion of the world’s children who receive recommended vaccines – has stalled over the past few years.(UNI)