“More than 117 million children in 37 countries, many of whom live in areas where measles outbreaks are underway, could be affected by the suspension of planned immunization activities. This staggering figure does not include the number of infants who may not be vaccinated due to the effect of Covid-19 on routine immunization services, “WHO and UNICEF said on Monday in a statement.
“Children under 12 months of age are more likely to die from complications from measles, and if the circulation of the measles virus is not stopped, their risk of exposure to measles will increase every day,” said keeps the two partner agencies of the Measles and Rubella Initiative (M&RI), which also includes the American Red Cross, the American Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) and the United Nations Foundation.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) argue that the Covid-19 pandemic requires a coordinated effort and a commitment of resources to ensure the protection of health workers frontline around the world as they face and respond to this new threat. At the same time, it is important to defend efforts to protect essential immunization services, now and in the future.
The statement said that partners in the initiative supported WHO guidelines recommending that governments temporarily stop preventive immunization campaigns when there is no active outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease.
Protect communities and health care workers
“M&RI supports the need to protect communities and health care workers from Covid-19 through a pause in mass campaigns, where the risks of the disease are high. However, this should not mean that children are left behind, ”said the statement.
“If the difficult choice to stop vaccination is made due to the spread of Covid-19, we urge leaders to step up efforts to track unvaccinated children so that the most vulnerable populations can receive vaccines against measles as soon as possible, ”adds the document.
WHO and UNICEF recall that despite the existence of a safe and effective vaccine for more than 50 years, cases of measles have jumped in recent years and claimed more than 140,000 lives in 2018, mainly children and babies, all preventable cases.
They salute the heroism of health and emergency workers worldwide, and recognize the vital role they play in providing clear and reliable information, as well as preventive and supportive care in their communities .
“We need to invest in health workers and ensure that they are protected from infection and that they are empowered in sustainable and functional primary health systems. They are the first line of defense against global epidemics, “say the two agencies.
“We call on countries and local leaders to implement effective communication strategies to engage communities, ensure that the supply and demand for immunization remain strong and help ensure a healthy life for every child, especially in this difficult context ”, they conclude.
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