The
Newsletter of the Pan American Health Organization - July
2008Immunization
Vaccination Week '08 Advances toward Record Goals
Minister of Health of Nicaragua Guillermo Gonzáles administers polio vaccine to a child in Peñas Blancas, near the Nicaragua-Costa Rica border, during th sixth annual Vaccination Week in the Americas. This year's initiative focused on taking the benefits of immunization to people in difficult-to-reach places, including border communities such as Peñas Blancas.
(Photo ©Harold Ruiz/PAHO)
Sixth annual initiative targeted 62 million people in 44 countries. Organizers hope for a future "World Vaccination Week."
This year's Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA), held April 19-26 was the sixth and most ambitious yet since the hemispheric initiative was first launched in 2003.
With the theme of "caravan for health," millions of health workers and volunteers set out to vaccinate some 62 million people in 44 countries against diseases including measles, rubella, polio, tetanus, diphteria, yellow fever, rotavirus, hepatitis B, and whooping cough. Special targets were communities where vaccination rates are often lower.
Preliminary results reported so far include:
- Peru vaccinated more than 9.2 million children, adolescents, health workers, police, members of the armed forces, and other risk groups against hepatitis B.
- Brazil vaccinated more than 13.6 million senior citizens against seasonal influenza.
- Mexico vaccinated nearly 21 million young adults against measles and rubella.
"This has to be a community celebration, a joint effort to protect this and future generations," said PanAmerican Health Organization (PAHO) Director Mirta Roses at the regional launch, held April 19 on the Panama–Costa Rica border. Also present were President Martín Torrijos of Panama, Minister of Health of Costa Rica María Luisa Ávila, Minister of Health of Panama Rosario Turner, UNICEF Regional Director Nils Kastberg, and singers Ricardo Montaner and Jerry Rivera.
Two days later, on the U.S.–Mexico border, Roses joined Health Secretary JoséAngel Córdova ofMexico in a "caravan for health" that traveled from Sunland Park, New Mexico, through El Paso, Texas, to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Along the way, health authorities from New Mexico and Texas passed a "torch of immunization" to Córdova for the launch of Mexico's Campaign for the Elimination of Rubella. Córdova in turn delivered the torch to Minister of Health of Guatemala Eusebio Del Cid on Mexico's southern border.
Since its inception, VWA has immunized more than 200 million children and adults and has helped promote a culture of prevention for health throughout the PAHO region.
The effort has also inspired European countries to hold their own European Immunization Week, which this year drew a record 33 participating countries. PAHO Director Roses said this year that she and other backers are hoping to build on VWA's success to create a future "World Vaccination Week."
For more images, see Vaccination Week in the Americas 2008.