Parents PACK

Global Immunization: Archives

• 10 Facts on Immunization
• Ghana makes vaccine history
• Measles
• Reducing childhood deaths and the CHOP Global Health Program

10 Facts on Immunization

Immunizations are important for keeping people around the world healthy and reducing the spread of infectious diseases. Estimates suggest that every year immunizations alone save between 2 and 3 million lives. Immunizations have had the greatest impact by reducing the number of deaths among children less than 5 years old and increasing the life expectancy of adults.

In April, the World Health Organization (WHO) published “10 Facts on Immunization.” Highlights included:

• Vaccinations are one of the most cost-effective public health interventions.
• Campaigns to immunize greater numbers of children have yielded dramatic reductions in diseases such as measles and polio.
• Focus on vaccine supplies has led to increased quantities of life-saving vaccines for diseases such as influenza.
• Introduction of newer vaccines in the developing world, such as pneumococcus and rotavirus, will continue to increase the numbers of children saved each year.

Read the complete list of the facts or learn more»

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Ghana makes vaccine history

Ghana recently made history when its leaders announced the launch of a national program to distribute both pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines to Ghanaian children. The announcement marked the first time any African nation has introduced more than one vaccine at a time. Pneumonia and severe infant diarrhea are responsible for 1 of every 5 deaths among Ghanaian children less than 5 years old. The new program will help Ghanaians reach their goal of decreasing childhood mortality by two-thirds before 2015.

• Learn more about Ghana’s launch of the pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines»
• Learn more about the pneumococcal vaccine and the disease it prevents»
• Learn more about the rotavirus vaccine and the disease it prevents»

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Measles

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a report on the global status of measles control. Reported cases of measles worldwide decreased from 2000 to 2008, but increased in 2010 due to large outbreaks. These large outbreaks occurred in the Eastern Mediterranean region in 2009 (Iraq), in the European region in 2010 (Bulgaria and France), and in the African region in 2009 and 2010 (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe).

The report indicated gaps in vaccination, caused in part by lack of access to healthcare and parents’ reluctance to vaccinate because of unfounded concerns about vaccine safety. Reluctant parents have been of particular concern in the European region. The associated outbreaks serve as a stark reminder of how quickly years of progress can unravel with a slight drop in immunization coverage and the resulting herd immunity.

• See the full report, which includes region- and country-specific information»
• Learn more about measles and the measles vaccine»

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Reducing childhood deaths and the CHOP Global Health Program

Maura Murphy, MPH, Global Health Program Manager at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Originally published in July 2011 Parents PACK newsletter

Every day at 4 p.m., after her work ends at the community health center, Ramona Cordero heads out on foot into the barrios of the town of Consuelo in the Dominican Republic. Ramona visits the homes of children in The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia vaccination program, reminding mothers to bring their children into the clinic to complete their vaccination schedule. Most of the families she visits have a very limited education and are living in extremely impoverished conditions. However, through the outreach work of Ramona and her staff of community health workers, nearly all of the children in the program are fully vaccinated according to the Dominican Republic immunization schedule, a feat that seemed almost impossible two years ago when the program began in the barrios.

By developing partnerships with local organizations, CHOP began a children’s health program called Niños Primeros en Salud, in a rural town in the Dominican Republic in 2009. Delivering timely immunizations to all children under the age of 5 is a priority of the center along with offering other preventive care, a nutrition initiative, de-parasite efforts, breastfeeding education and health education. Immunizing children in the program is such a priority because of the life-saving potential of vaccines, both in the Dominican Republic and throughout the world.

Reducing childhood deaths, the big picture

In 2000, world leaders set eight ambitious goals to reduce poverty around the globe by 2015. One of these goals, known as Millennium Development Goal (MDG) #4, is to reduce childhood deaths by two thirds, and is of particular importance to the health of children. The success of this goal is measured by three indicators:

• Reducing the number of children less than 5 who die each year
• Reducing the number of babies who die each year
• Increasing the number of 1-year-olds immunized against measles

The good news is that for the first time in history, the number of children dying every year has fallen below 10 million. The bad news is that nearly 8 million children will still die before their fifth birthday, largely because of preventable illnesses like pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria and measles. Two million of these deaths, primarily from pneumonia and diarrhea, could be prevented through the use of vaccines.

Immunizations

Immunizations are one of the most effective public health interventions available for decreasing the number of deaths in children less than 5 each year. Vaccines are also very cost effective. For the price of a cup of coffee, a child in the developing world can be immunized against five killer diseases. As routine immunizations in many countries throughout the world are becoming more available, they are often delivered to children as a part of packages of interventions that include malaria nets and Vitamin A supplements, which also increase childhood survival rates.

Still, more than 23 million children are not up to date on their immunizations every year due to barriers such as inaccessibility of vaccines, low public awareness of the need for vaccines or unfounded fears about vaccine safety. These unique challenges make it difficult to achieve and maintain immunization rates in developing countries and are the reason global health programs, such as the vaccine program supported through CHOP Global Health, are so important. To learn more about vaccine delivery around the world, visit the GAVI alliance website.

Local dedication, big results

Ramona’s dedication in the Dominican Republic is an example of how innovative programs can overcome the barriers that often prevent successful immunization efforts in the developing world. By improving immunization rates in children throughout the world through programs like Niños Primeros en Salud, more children can be saved and the Millennium Development Goal of reducing childhood deaths will become a reality.

Visit the CHOP Global Health website to learn more about their work.

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Updated: January 2012