World Immunization Week is a global public health campaign to raise awareness and increase rates of immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases around the world, it takes place each year during the last week of April (24th – 30th).

Immunization can protect against 25 different infectious agents or diseases, from infancy to old age, including diphtheria, measles, pertussis, polio, tetanus and COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates active immunization currently averts 2 to 3 million deaths every year. However, 22.6 million infants worldwide are still missing out on basic vaccines, mostly in developing countries. Inadequate immunization coverage rates often result from limited resources, competing health priorities, poor management of health systems and inadequate surveillance. The ultimate goal of World Immunization Week is for more people – and their communities – to be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases. World Immunization Week sprung out of the efforts taking place across different countries and regions for a week-long immunization awareness commemoration. World Immunization Week is one of eleven official campaigns marked by the WHO, along with World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Tuberculosis Day, World Malaria Day, World Patient Safety Day, World Hepatitis Day, World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, World Chagas Disease Day and World AIDS Day.

Links:
24 to 30 April is World Immunization Week

Humanly Possible: Saving lives through immunization

Uitbraken kinkhoest, mazelen en bof door niet vaccineren van kinderen