ISLAMABAD
\nWorld Immunization Week is being observed countrywide from Monday to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination in protecting against diseases.
\nThis year\u2019s theme \u2018The Big Catch-up\u2019 urges greater engagement around immunization globally to promote the role of vaccines in improving the health and well-being of everyone, everywhere.
\nA spokesman for the Ministry of National Health Services and Coordination has stated that in collaboration with provincial Expanded Programmes of Immunization and other stakeholders, the Federal Directorate of Immunization launched a week-long vaccination campaign in late April to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination in preventing infectious diseases, the spokesman said in a statement.
\nIn his message marking the start of World Immunization Week, the Federal Minister of Health, Abdul Qadir Patel, urged parents to vaccinate their children against 12 deadly diseases before the age of two. The ultimate goal of the Week is to protect more children from vaccine-preventable diseases and raise awareness about the value of vaccines.
\nThe government of Pakistan is committed to ensuring safe and effective vaccines are available and delivered to every child, including those in vulnerable and remote communities. The Minister expressed gratitude to frontline health workers and EPI teams for their tireless efforts in achieving this goal.
\nThe government is dedicated to ensuring that vaccination registration and availability reach 100% to guarantee the success of the immunization initiative. Frontline workers play an essential role in facilitating vaccination in remote and disadvantaged areas, and the government is undertaking all necessary measures to keep the public safe from diseases and epidemics.
\nThe Minister emphasized the importance of vaccination in preserving public health and urged parents to vaccinate their children against fatal diseases to safeguard their health in the future. The threat of polio still poses a danger to many children, making it imperative to provide access to polio vaccines during World Immunization Week.
\nIn his message, the Federal Secretary of Health, Dr. Muhammad Fakhr-e-Alam, stated that the ultimate goal of World Immunization Week is to protect more children from vaccine-preventable diseases, enabling them to live healthier and happier lives.
\nRepresenting the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination, all stakeholders are urged to fulfill their responsibilities towards achieving the ultimate goal of universal immunization coverage (100% fully immunized children). This includes religious leaders, academia, doctors, media personnel, civil society organizations, parliamentarians, immunization partners, donor organizations, parents, and frontline health workers.
\nWorld Immunization Week is an opportunity to remind families and communities about the effectiveness of vaccines and to encourage people to take action to ensure that more children, as well as people in other age groups as we are witnessing right now with COVID-19 vaccination, are immunized against deadly and debilitating diseases,\u201d said Dr. Muhammad Ahmad Kazi, Director General of Federal Director of Immunization, to mark the beginning of the week.
\n\u201cWe know that a significant number of unimmunized children come from urban slums, hard to reach and security compromised areas. These children are in dire need of basic services such as primary health care, education, clean drinking water and sanitation. We now have to focus our resources to find novel means to trace these unvaccinated zero-dose children,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cPolio still threatens the futures of too many children today. This World Immunization Week let\u2019s protect all children with polio vaccines, especially those who have never been vaccinated. Because until we End Polio for good, polio anywhere puts everyone at risk.\u201d said Dr Shahzad Baig, Coordinator National Emergency Operations Center. \u201cWe\u2019re striving to make sure kids in even the most marginalized areas can access polio vaccines, other essential care, and a healthier future,\u201d he added.
\nRoutine childhood immunization is a set of inoculations, given from birth to the age of 15 months. Completing the schedule protects children from 12 diseases that are preventable through vaccines, such as tuberculosis, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, haemophilus influenza type B, hepatitis B, diarrhoea, pneumonia, typhoid, measles and rubella.
\nThe entire course is provided for free by the government\u2019s EPI with support from global and technical partners, like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, WHO and UNICEF. \u201cVaccines bring us closer to community cohesion and compassion. With equal access to lifesaving vaccines, children can attend school, grow into healthy adults, parents can make their livelihood, and communities can thrive into a prosperous healthier society,\u201d said Dr. Palitha Mahipala WHO Representative in Pakistan
\nWorld Immunization Week is a reminder that timely vaccination is the first line of defense against communicable diseases\u2019 said Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan.
\nReiterating UNICEF\u2019s resolve to vaccinate every child in Pakistan, he said, \u201cVaccine save millions of lives every year, especially those of children who are more susceptible to due to low immunity. Vaccination is a safe and effective way to help them survive, thrive and reach their full potential in life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD World Immunization Week is being observed countrywide from Monday to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination in protecting against diseases. This year\u2019s theme \u2018The Big Catch-up\u2019 urges greater engagement around immunization globally to promote the role of vaccines in improving the health and well-being of everyone, everywhere. A spokesman for the Ministry of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":327289,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-327270","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n