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World Immunisation week 2022

21 Apr 2022

World immunisation week is celebrated between 24-30 April each year to promote the use of immunisations (vaccines) to protect people of all ages against disease.

For over 200 years, vaccines have been making the world safer by protecting us against diseases that threaten lives, such as polio, measles and smallpox and are widely recognised as one of the world’s most successful health interventions, preventing 2 to 3 million deaths every year.

Childhood vaccination rates have significantly decreased in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, war and conflict has severely disrupted vaccine services in some countries including Ukraine, meaning families who flee are at risk of contracting serious diseases such as measles and polio, if they cannot access routine vaccination services in the countries which they arrive in.

The theme for world immunisation week 2022 is 'Long Life for All'. The aim is to reinforce the importance of equal access to vaccines for people of all ages and backgrounds, to ensure they can live a long and healthy life.

See the country-specific pages for information about vaccines recommended before you travel abroad.

Further information about routine vaccines given for life in the UK is available for:

Scotland:

England, Wales, Northern Ireland