World Immunisation Week 24-30 April 2019

17 Apr 2019

World Immunisation Week is celebrated in the last week of April every year and aims to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease.

The theme of World Immunisation Week 2019 is Protected Together: Vaccines Work! Immunisation saves millions of lives every year and is widely recognised as one of the worlds most successful and cost-effective health interventions. Yet, there are still nearly 20 million unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children in the world today.
In 2017, the number of children immunised worldwide – 116.2 million – was the highest ever reported. Since 2010, 113 countries have introduced new vaccines, and more than 20 million additional children have been vaccinated.

But despite gains, there have been outbreaks of measles, diphtheria and various other vaccine-preventable diseases worldwide.Most of the children missing out are those living in the poorest, marginalised and conflict-affected communities,however, it should be remembered that there have been recent measles outbreaks in USA and Europe.

To achieve the maximum protection against infectious diseases it is essential that maximum vaccination coverage is achieved in both children and adults.
Key messages of world Immunisation week 2019 include:

•  ensure you & your family are vaccinated on time, every time
•  prior to overseas travel,ensure your family’s vaccines are up to date
•  be a vaccine champion – talk to people about the benefits of vaccines. Vaccines save lives, help children learn & grow, & prevent serious illness & disability

More information on World Immunisation Week can be found on the WHO website.
If you are unsure whether you have received the full British childhood vaccination schedule you should seek advice from a health care professional.
Advice on appropriate travel vaccinations can be found on the  individual country pages on fitfortravel.