Global vaccination campaign | QUANG NAM ONLINE NEWSPAPER

(QNO) - The Big Catch-up - a campaign marking World Immunization Week 2023 taking place from April 24 to 30.

The world launched a large-scale vaccination campaign from April 24 to 30 to save millions of children. Photo: GAVI — The world launched a large-scale vaccination campaign from April 24 to 30 to prevent disease for millions of children. Photo: GAVI

The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the 2030 Immunization Agenda and many other global and country health partners are joining forces to launch The Big Catch-up - a global effort to scale up and restore immunization for millions of children disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The world is launching a massive vaccination campaign as the COVID-19 pandemic has seen essential immunization coverage drop in more than 100 countries, leading to outbreaks of measles, diphtheria, polio and yellow fever...

WHO explained that the cause of the above situation is due to overloaded health services, closed clinics and disrupted import and export of vials, syringes and other medical supplies.

Meanwhile, communities and families are in lockdown, with restrictions on movement and access to services, and limited financial and human resources and access to medical supplies due to emergency responses. Ongoing challenges such as conflict, the climate crisis and vaccine hesitancy also contribute to low immunization coverage.

In addition, The Big Catch-up aims to ensure stronger primary health care services for essential immunization in the future.

“Millions of children and adolescents, especially in low-income countries, are missing out on life-saving vaccines while outbreaks of these deadly diseases increase,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “WHO is supporting dozens of countries to restore immunization and other essential health services. Catching up is a top priority. No child should die from a vaccine-preventable disease.”

“The longer we wait to reach and vaccinate these children, the more vulnerable they will be and the higher the risk of deadly outbreaks,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Countries, global partners and local communities must come together to strengthen services, build trust and save lives.”

“Vaccines are a triumph of public health,” said Dr. Chris Elias, President of Global Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “The incredible progress we have made in ending polio and reducing the incidence of other infectious diseases is a direct result of the thousands of global partners and dedicated local health workers who have worked to immunize millions of children.”

WHO estimates that more than 25 million children missed at least one dose of immunization in 2021 alone. Outbreaks of preventable diseases, including measles, diphtheria, polio and yellow fever, are becoming more common and severe.

Source