Vaccines are a boon to mankind and the medical field. They act as a shield for humans against various illnesses. Every year a week is dedicated to spreading awareness about the positives of immunization and it is called World Immunization Week. It is observed in the last week of April aka from the 24th to 30th. The aim of this day as per the WHO is to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease. Doctor Visits Amid COVID-19 Pandemic: Should You Delay Your Child's Vaccines and Paediatrician Appointments?

WHO claims that immunization saves millions of lives every year. Apart from being highly effective, it is widely recognised as one of the world’s most successful and cost-effective health interventions to protect people from deadly diseases. However, unfortunately, not everyone is able to receive immunization. It is important for infants and kids to receive immunization of vaccine shots to boost their immunity towards various deadly health conditions. According to WHO, nearly 20 million children in the world today who are not getting the vaccines they need.

World Immunization Week Theme

World Immunization Week 2020 will celebrate the theme which is #VaccinesWork for All. The idea behind the theme is to spread awareness about how vaccines actually work and why is it important to use vaccines. As per WHO the campaign will "focus on how vaccines – and the people who develop, deliver and receive them – are heroes by working to protect the health of everyone, everywhere."

2020 Campaign Objectives

It is important a word around the importance of vaccination is spread around the world. The aim is to vaccinate more and more kids and make them understand how vital it is in protecting them from serious illnesses. WHO says that the main goal of the campaign is to urge greater engagement around immunization globally and the importance of vaccination in improving the health and wellbeing of everyone, everywhere throughout life.

As part of the 2020 campaign, WHO and partners aim to:

  • Demonstrate the value of vaccines for the health of children, communities and the world.

  • Show how routine immunization is the foundation for strong, resilient health systems and universal health coverage.

  • Highlight the need to build on immunization progress while addressing gaps, including through increased investment in vaccines and immunization.

Let's use the World Immunization Week 2020 as an opportunity to spread awareness about the vaccines and collectively make an effort to protect people from vaccine-preventable diseases.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 23, 2020 07:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).