Immunization and Vaccination Week around the Globe

From April 24th to April 30th, 2022, World Immunization Week (WIW) and African Vaccination Week (AVW) were celebrated simultaneously. WIW and AVW are opportunities for health and public health professionals to highlight and strengthen awareness of the importance of immunization and vaccination. While both immunization and vaccination terms seem to be used interchangeably, they are different.

Immunization can be acquired naturally or artificially to become protected against a disease[1], and vaccination is the act of getting a vaccine into the body through injections or orally [1]. Different terminology, but the end goal is to protect children and adults against vaccine-preventable diseases. Examples include smallpox, polio, measles, yellow fever, Ebola, cholera, cervical cancer, covid-19, mumps, diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus, just to name a few.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccines are vital for disease control and eradication [2]. Vaccines work by training our immune systems to recognize the virus or bacteria invading our bodies, produce antibodies, remember the disease, and fight it off [2]. Simple! This is science.

Vaccines are lifesavers and remain a safe, cheap, and effective tool for protecting children and adults against vaccine-preventable diseases. With its known benefits, vaccine hesitancy remains a great challenge and has led to low vaccination coverage worldwide. This week in Cameroon, in addition to advocating and raising awareness about the importance of immunization and vaccination, the upcoming polio campaign (May 13th to May 16th, 2022) was promoted.

On April 26th, 2022, at the South West Regional Fund for Health Promotion conference hall in Buea, Cameroon, media professionals from all districts in the South West (SW) region were briefed on the importance of routine vaccination for children and women. They were sensitized and provided key messages to show how vaccines help lead to a long life for all.

At the briefing, Dr. Eko Filbert, SW Regional Delegate of Public Health, said that the media had a role. And that the Public Health sector needs assistance in improving routine vaccination coverage in the SW region. He also mentioned that vaccination coverage was less than 70% which is not encouraging.

When people hear about routine vaccinations, they think it is just for children but that is not the case. Routine vaccinations are vaccines recommended for everyone of all age groups. Routine vaccinations are different in every country. That is why certain vaccines are recommended before traveling to another country.

Some of the routine vaccinations for children (0 – 11 months) and pregnant women in Cameroon are BCG (Bacille de Calmette et Guerin), DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus), Td (Tetanus Toxoid for women), Hepatitis B, OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine), Measles, and Yellow Fever. These vaccines are all approved by the Ministry of Health, WHO, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In Cameroon and most countries, children and pregnant women are public health priority populations due to their vulnerability.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and other factors, some children have not received any routine vaccinations since birth. This is what we call “zero-dose children.” The data manager for the SW Expanded Programme Immunization (EPI), Madam Martha Ngoe, mentioned during her presentation at the briefing that there were 10,000 zero-dose children in the SW region. This is alarming. Public health professionals and vaccinators are mobilizing to reach these children soon.

Parents or guardians, skipping or delaying routine vaccinations puts your children and others around them at risk for potential diseases. Children must catch up on their missed routine vaccinations to protect themselves and others from deadly diseases. It is possible to catch up and safe to give multiple vaccine injections in one visit.

Fathers, especially those in African countries, please follow up on your children’s routine vaccination schedule. Your wives or partners do not have the sole responsibility of ensuring the kids have received their routine vaccinations. What I heard at the briefing on Tuesday morning was disappointing. Please step up and help out.

Vaccinations have saved lives for generations and will continue to do so. With WIW and AVW ending today, I am hopeful that beyond this, everyone will chip in to remind and encourage their families, neighbors, friends, and colleagues to vaccinate their kids. We all have a role in improving vaccination coverage in our irrespective countries.

Advocate for a longer life for all because vaccinated populations are healthy populations.

References

1. Immunization: The Basics. (2021). Retrieved 29 April 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/imz-basics.htm

2. How do vaccines work? (2020). Retrieved 29 April 2022, from https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/how-do-vaccines-work

3. Image Credit: Synthia Mukwele, Communication Focal Person at the SW Regional Delegation of Public Health.