World Immunization Week
The Value of Vaccination
Every 20 seconds, a child dies from a disease that could be prevented with a safe and effective vaccine. Millions more children survive but are left severely disabled.Vaccines have the power not only to save but also transform lives by protecting against disease—giving children a chance to grow up healthy, go to school, and improve their lives. Vaccination campaigns sometimes provide the only contact with health care services that children receive in their early years of life.
Immunization is one of the most successful and cost-effective health interventions—it currently averts an estimated 2 to 3 million deaths every year in all age groups from diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), and measles.
Unfortunately, an estimated 22 million infants are not fully immunized with routine vaccines every year, and more than 1.5 million children younger than 5 die from diseases that could be prevented by existing vaccines.
World Immunization Week
World Immunization Week, beginning on 20 April 2013, aims to promote one of the world's most powerful tools for health— the use of vaccines to protect, or "immunize", people of all ages against disease.Immunization Week initiatives began in the Region of the Americas in 2003. The Week was observed simultaneously in WHO's six regions for the first time in 2012, with the participation of more than 180 countries, territories and areas. The World Health Assembly endorsed World Immunization Week during its May 2012 meeting, alongside the Global Vaccine Action Plan.
World Immunization Week—which takes place during the last week in April every year—gives countries and our partners around the world a focused opportunity to raise public awareness of how immunization saves lives—during the same week, every year, in every country. Activities include vaccination campaigns, training workshops, round-table discussions, public information campaigns, and more.
Immunization Weeks around the Globe
2013 is the second year that each of WHO's six regions will participate in World Immunization Week. Every region has adopted a slogan and activities based on the priorities of its countries:- African Vaccination Week: Save lives, prevent disabilities, vaccinate!
- European Immunization Week: Protect. Prevent. Immunize.
- Immunization Week in South-East Asia: Keep your family healthy and productive, immunize them
- Immunization Week in the Western Pacific: A healthy future for your family
- Vaccination Week in the Americas: Vaccination, a shared responsibility
- Vaccination Week in the Eastern Mediterranean: Stop measles now!
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