Santiago, Chile, 24 April 2023 (PAHO) – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) today formally introduced Vaccination Week in the Americas, an effort that intends to set in motion collective action throughout the area to enhance regular and targeted immunization efforts.
Occurring from 22 to 29 April, this year’s Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA) project intends to reach more 92 million individuals with over 144 million dosages of various vaccines in 45 nations and areas.
The drive comes as the danger of vaccine-preventable illness break outs is at a 30-year high in the Americas, with one in 5 kids under the age of one year not completely secured versus numerous vaccine-preventable illness.
“PAHO is dealing with nations to rejuvenate immunization programs and utilize this crucial public health tool in all its strength to conserve the lives and secure the health of individuals in our area,” PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa stated at the launch of this year’s VWA.
Dr. Barbosa spoke at a panel conversation to formally introduce VWA, where he was signed up with by agents of federal government, academic community, civil society and youth to go over obstacles, chances and techniques to enhance immunization rates in the area.
Throughout the occasion, video messages were likewise provided by Ms. Yazmin Colón de Cortizo, First Lady of Panama; Dr. Nísia Trindade Lima, Minister of Health of Brazill; Mr. Jerome Xavier Walcott, Minister of Health and Wellness of Barbados; Rochelle P. Walensky, Director of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Chris Elias, president of the Global Development Division of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
While decreasing vaccination rates have actually been observed in the area throughout the previous years, the COVID-19 pandemic intensified the issue through the disturbance of health services and increased hesitancy brough upon by false information, the PAHO Director stated.
“Yet COVID-19 likewise offered us a chance, as it made it possible for strong cooperation in between PAHO and nations to establish nationwide immunization strategies, train health care employees, and reinforce cold chain operations,” he stated.
With high level political dedication and the involvement of neighborhoods and societies, the PAHO Director stated he is “positive that the area can restore its management position in immunizations, as it had in the past.”
He likewise contacted nations to re