Immunization presently prevents between 3.5 million and 5 million deaths yearly from ailments like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza, and measles, mentioned a World Health Organization official.
On the event of World Immunization Week, Batyr Berdyklychev, WHO Türkiye consultant, instructed Anadolu: “These days we have vaccines to prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases, helping people of all ages live longer, healthier.”
The final week of April is widely known as World Immunization Week, aiming to spotlight the collective motion wanted to guard folks from vaccine-preventable ailments, mentioned Berdyklychev.
He mentioned that vaccines not solely give folks more healthy lives but additionally maintain them away from falling into poverty.
“Health and well-being are closely linked. A sick person has less productivity, may lose income, and fall into catastrophic health expenditures. Therefore, it is estimated that vaccines will help keep approximately 24 million people from falling into poverty by 2030,” mentioned Berdyklychev.
“We can say that immunization is one of the best health investments money can buy,” he added.
‘VACCINES CAN ONLY IMPROVE HEALTH, PREVENT DEATHS IF USED’
Speaking on vaccine hesitancy, Berdyklychev mentioned that it is without doubt one of the prime 10 world well being threats.
“Vaccines can only improve health and prevent deaths if they are used,” he mentioned, including: “This issue threatens to reverse progress made in tackling vaccine-preventable diseases.”
Berdyklychev mentioned that in accordance with WHO, complacency, inconvenience in accessing vaccines, and insecurity are the important thing causes for vaccine hesitancy.
“Health workers, especially those in communities, remain the most trusted advisors and influencers of vaccination decisions, and they must be supported to provide trusted, credible information on vaccines,” he added.
Berdyklychev mentioned that there’s a “concerning decline in childhood vaccination rates across the world” and “un- and under-vaccinated people remain at risk of contracting preventable diseases like measles, diphtheria, and polio.”
“Our public health systems must therefore remain vigilant to track and trace any cases of VPD (vaccine-preventable diseases), and we must remind people that every vaccine and vaccine dose counts to save lives, protect ourselves, and protect those we love.”
On the way forward for vaccination, Berdyklychev mentioned that scientists should not solely engaged on new vaccines but additionally on new vaccine supply applied sciences for bettering vaccine supply and efficacy.
“Technologies and alternative adjuvants that can remove the need for multiple shots are under development. Needle-free administration is already possible for some vaccines, such as live vaccines given orally (e.g. rotavirus) and for more, there are researches ongoing,” he added.
VACCINE EQUITY
Berdyklychev mentioned that though the COVID-19 pandemic confirmed us the fastest-developed vaccines, it additionally revealed “existing problems with vaccine equity.”
Immunization protection differs amongst international locations, with some populations having poor entry to immunization providers.
“Each year, 20 million infants do not receive a full course of even basic vaccines, and many more miss out on newer vaccines. Of these, over 13 million receive no vaccines through immunization programs-the zero-dose children,” mentioned Berdyklychev.
Vaccination of high-priority teams, like healthcare staff, folks over 60s, and people who find themselves immunocompromised, should be prioritized when there’s a vaccine scarcity at a world or nationwide stage, mentioned Berdyklychev.
“Adequate, predictable supplies of appropriate, affordable vaccines of assured quality must be available at points of service delivery, and stock-outs must be avoided,” he added.
Berdyklychev mentioned that the WHO is working with companions and international locations to handle vaccine inequity resembling COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership, specializing in 34 low-coverage international locations, with the federal government on the heart, to speed up COVID-19 vaccination.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
