Vaccines have brought us closer, and will bring us closer again
World Immunization Week is celebrated every year in the last week of April. The goal of this week is to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease.
As we celebrate this year’s World Immunization Week, we recognize that we are still in the midst of a pandemic. While the world focuses on the COVID vaccines, there remains a need to ensure routine vaccinations are not missed. Many children have not been vaccinated during the global pandemic, leaving them at risk of other diseases like measles and polio.
When we experience a pandemic like COVID, we are reminded of how quickly emerging and new diseases can spread when there is no immunity against them or a vaccine to prevent them.
As part of the 2021 campaign, WHO, partners and individuals around the world will unite to:
- Increase trust and confidence in vaccines to maintain or increase vaccine acceptance
- Increase investment in vaccines, including routine immunization, to remove barriers to access
This year’s theme is ‘Vaccines bring us closer’. World Immunization Week 2021 urges greater engagement around immunization to promote the importance of vaccination in bringing people together, and improving the health and wellbeing of everyone, everywhere throughout life.
To learn more about World Immunization Week, visit https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2021/04/24/default-calendar/world-immunization-week-2021
