Grenada launches Vaccination Week and introduces new vaccines

Vaccination Week in the Americas in Grenada

St. Georges, Grenada, 26 April 2025 (PAHO) - The health of the most vulnerable in Grenada - including children - received a boost recently with the launch of Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA).

Minister of Health, Wellness and Religious Affairs, Hon. Philip A. Telesford, during his address to the nation on 26 April, the eve of VWA, stressed that health care providers must protect the most vulnerable populations, and that vaccination is a tool to enhance the health and well-being of mothers, children and those with chronic illnesses such as sickle cell anaemia.

Hon. Telesford also noted that the Ministry of Health is working on strengthening primary health care which is vital for the health of the population, adding that immunization is a key component. 

A series of events took place to mark the week including a church service at St. George’s Cathedral on 27 April, where the minister was joined by members of his team, health care workers and personnel from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

The vaccination week began in earnest on 28 April, with a motorcade travelling through St. George Northeast to catchup with unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children and to vaccinate adults. A total of 13 people were vaccinated, including children aged 18 months to 14 years old, who received their vaccines according to their immunization schedule. Adults mostly received influenza and tetanus vaccines.

GAVI, the global vaccine alliance, UNICEF - the UN agency for children - and PAHO have been strategic partners in vaccine promotion for more than a decade, with GAVI strengthening national immunization programmes in Grenada.

On 29 April, two crucial new vaccines were launched at the St. George’s Health Clinic - one to prevent pneumococcal disease and another for rotavirus (the most common cause of diarrheal disease among infants and young children). Both are intended for children below the age of one.

This accomplishment was made possible with the financial support of GAVI and technical support of PAHO and UNICEF. An eight-week-old-boy was the first in Grenada to receive doses of both vaccines. Children up to the age of five can also receive them, as well as the elderly and at-risk individuals with such conditions as chronic respiratory ailments and sickle cell disease.

A mobile clinic was established at fish markets to provide health care screening and vaccinations to the public. Other available vaccines were childhood vaccines such as measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), polio, diphtheria and tetanus, and adult vaccines for hepatitis B, HPV, tetanus and influenza.

Grenada received vaccines to cover the target population of about 2,200 children, with the financial support of GAVI and technical support of the PAHO revolving funds for vaccines.

PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Carribean Countries, Dr. Amalia Del Riego, summarized PAHO’s support. “PAHO/WHO provided technical support for about seven months working with the country to prepare the health system for the use of the new vaccines. We engaged in capacity building for health providers responsible for vaccination at all levels of the health system and supported the training of the surveillance officers and health providers in the surveillance of Events Supposedly Attributable to Vaccines or Immunization. Revision and update of the vaccination record cards, and cold chain assessment were also conducted. PAHO will continue supporting Grenada in its efforts to protect the health of its population.”

Mr. AbdulKadir Musse, UNICEF Representative for the Eastern Caribbean Area, welcomed the initiative, noting that “UNICEF recognizes the life-saving value of vaccinations, especially for children, if they are to live healthy lives. We are committed to continuing our support for critical vaccine interventions across the countries we serve.” 


About Gavi

The Vaccine Alliance Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate more than half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases. The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and other private sector partners. View the full list of donor governments and other leading organisations that fund Gavi’s work here. Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunize a whole generation – over 1 billion children – and prevented more than 17.3 million future deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 78 lower-income countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal and yellow fever vaccines. After two decades of progress, Gavi is now focused on protecting the next generation, above all the zero-dose children who have not received even a single vaccine shot. The Vaccine Alliance employs innovative finance and the latest technology – from drones to biometrics – to save lives, prevent outbreaks before they can spread and help countries on the road to self-sufficiency. Learn more at www.gavi.org and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter

About PAHO

PAHO is the specialized health agency of the Inter-American System and serves as the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Americas. Established in 1902, PAHO is the world’s oldest international health agency and works with countries in the region to improve and protect people's health. The organization supports countries in tackling 3 communicable and noncommunicable diseases and in responding to emergencies and disasters and provides technical cooperation to strengthen health systems and ensure equitable access to healthcare. For more than 40 years, PAHO’s Revolving Fund for Access to Vaccines, has provided access to safe and quality vaccines at affordable prices for Member States and Territories throughout the region and support countries' efforts to achieve sustainable and equitable reduction of morbidity and mortality of vaccine-preventable diseases through control and elimination strategies. More info about the PAHO Revolving Funds at https://www.paho.org/en/revolving-fund

About UNICEF

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child; in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org.