World Immunization Week 2018: Protected Together, #VaccinesWork

22 April 2018, Cairo – This year’s World Immunization Week campaign, celebrated from 24 to 30 April, aims to highlight that protecting entire communities with vaccines protects everyone and so the theme of this year’s campaign is “Protected Together, #VaccinesWork”.  Immunization is one of the most successful and cost-effective health interventions. Studies show that every US$ 1 spent on childhood immunization returns US$ 44 in economic and social benefits.  Immunization protects everyone – from infants to senior citizens – against disabling illnesses, disability and death from vaccine-preventable diseases. Increasingly, adolescents and adults are experiencing the benefits of vaccination against life-threatening diseases, such as hepatitis, influenza, meningitis and cancers that occur in adulthood. Every year, immunization prevents up to 3 million deaths from diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and measles in all age groups. It is predicted that increasing vaccine coverage in low- and middle-income countries by 2030 could prevent 24 million people from falling into poverty due to health expenses.1 As World Immunization Week is marked worldwide, it is an opportune time to reflect on some major achievements. The world has seen an 84% reduction in measles deaths between 2000 and 2016 due to measles vaccination. As a result of continued immunization campaigns, polio cases have decreased by over 99% since 1988, and today, only 3 countries (Afghanis...
Source: WHO EMRO News - Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news