World Immunization Week is observed annually across the globe in the last week of April to highlight the collective action needed and to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease.
- The World Immunization Week 2023 is observed from 24th to 30th April 2023.
- World Health Organization (WHO) set the theme of World Immunization Week 2023 as ‘The Big Catch-Up’ to get vaccines back on track.
World Immunization Week is annually organised by the WHO to protect more people and their communities from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Background:
Vaccination Weeks, a global movement, was first introduced in the region of the Americas in 2003 and was observed simultaneously in the WHO’s 6 regions in April 2012, with the participation of more than 180 member states.
In May 2012, The resolution WHA65.18 adopted during the 65th WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY (WHA) requested the member states to designate the last week of April, when appropriate, as World Immunization Week.
The first World Immunization Week was held in April 2012.
Key Points:
Through World Immunization Week 2023, WHO highlights successful vaccination campaigns underway in several countries, as well as some “bright spots of resilience”, such as India, which saw a strong recovery in essential immunization in 2022.
- Uganda also maintained high coverage levels during the pandemic.
As per the statement of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), around 67 million children worldwide missed out on one or more essential vaccinations between 2019 and 2021, due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and armed conflict.
- Around 25 million children missed out on vaccination in 2021 alone.
Points to be Noted:
i.Vaccination will protect populations from vaccine-preventable outbreaks, save children’s lives and strengthen national health systems.
ii.Due to pandemic the essential immunization levels decrease in over 100 countries, leading to rising outbreaks of measles, diphtheria, polio and yellow fever.
iii.Under the World Immunization Week 2023 focus will be given to the 20 countries that missed children vaccinations in 2021 (for three quarters)
- The 20 countries include Afghanistan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, Somalia and Myanmar.
iv.WHO, UNICEF, Gavit (the Vaccine Alliance), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, along with Immunization Agenda 2030 has set the targeted ‘The Big Catch-up’, a global effort to boost vaccination among children following declines driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Under the theme of ‘The Big Catch-Up’, WHO is working with partners to accelerate rapid progress in countries to get back on track to ensure more people, particularly children, are protected from preventable diseases.
Additional info: Immunization can protect against 25 different infectious agents or diseases, including – Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), Hepatitis B, Human papillomavirus (HPV), Meningitis A, Measles, Mumps, Pneumococcal, Polio, Diptheria, Rotaviruses, Rubella, Tetanus, Yellow fever.
