Health officials have started campaigning to re-establish 95 per cent vaccine coverage in children under five years old, as Barbados gets ready to mark the 22nd Vaccination Week in the Americas, from April 20 to 26.
With the World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization noting a re-emergence of some vaccine-preventable diseases, with measles and polio cases in particular, among pockets of unvaccinated children in Asia, Europe, and the Americas, Barbadian health authorities are implementing strategies to address vaccine hesitancy while promoting the benefits of vaccines.
The resurgence of diseases like measles and polio are of particular concern given a noticeable decline in local vaccine coverage rates in those children under age five.
Health officials will also be using some of the activities surrounding the 22nd Vaccination Week in the Americas to reassure the public of the efficacy, safety, and benefits of vaccines and immunisations.
On Monday, April 22, public health nurses and a paediatrician will be guests on CBC’s Mornin’ Barbados show when they will talk about the goals and objectives of Vaccination Week in the Americas.
SOURCE: Barbados Government Information Service (GIS).
