European Immunization Week

The aim of the European Immunization Week, which will be held from 24 to 30 April 2017, is to increase the level of vaccination coverage by attracting attention and raising awareness of the importance of immunization in particular among vulnerable groups.

Today, the vast majority of health professionals recognize that immunization has been an outstanding public health success and one of the most effective and cost-effective medical interventions.

Currently, more than 100 vaccines have been created to fight more than 40 diseases, and new-generation vaccines are constantly being developed and introduced, including combined vaccines that can create immunity to several infections.  

European Immunization Week (ENI) promotes the basic idea that immunization of every child is essential for the prevention of diseases and the protection of life. The main objective of ENI is to increase the coverage of immunization by raising awareness of its importance.

As part of the 2017 campaign, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners set the following goals::

In 2017, the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GPA) is halfway through its target date. The plan was approved by 194 Member States at the World Health Assembly in May 2012 and aims to prevent millions of deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases by 2020 through universal access to immunization.

The goals of the Global Vaccine Action Plan are:

Increasing public awareness of the benefits of vaccination is one of the main goals of the Global Vaccine Action Plan, which provides a framework for immunization programmes around the world and was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2012. The plan aims to improve the health of all people by accessing immunization programs by 2020, regardless of where they are born, who they are, or where they live.

Despite all the progress, one in five children does not get vaccinated. As a result of inadequate vaccine supplies, lack of access to health workers, and insufficient political and financial support, a significant proportion of the population begins but does not complete the full course of vaccination prescribed by the National Vaccination Calendar. On the other hand, one of the main reasons for consciously refusing vaccinations is a lack of knowledge about vaccination. The laws define the rights and obligations of the health care professional and the parent responsible for their child. In addition, the laws take into account the moral and ethical norms proclaimed by the Helsinki Declaration on Human Rights. The right of the child, as any citizen, is the right to be vaccinated, that is, protected from infections. The right of parents and all citizens is to receive from a medical professional full information about the dangers of infectious diseases, the need for preventive vaccinations, the consequences of refusing them, possible post-vaccination reactions and complications.

The European Immunization Week is held annually to raise awareness and knowledge of the population, the public, and medical professionals about infections managed by means of immunoprophylaxis, and the need for protection against infectious diseases.

In the report of the Minister of Health of Russia V. I. Skvortsova on the results of the work of 2016, tangible achievements of the country's health care in vaccine prevention were made. "Of course, the most effective measure to reduce mortality and increase life expectancy is the prevention of infectious diseases. In 10 years, flu vaccination coverage has doubled from 28.5 million people (or 19% of the population) to almost 56 million, exceeding 38% of the country's population and unprecedented in our history. As a result, it was possible to reduce the incidence of influenza by 10 times (up to 60 per 100 thousand people), and, in addition, to reduce the proportion of complicated forms of influenza. Since 2014, vaccination of children and adults from risk groups against pneumococcal infection has been introduced in our country. In 2016, more than 2.2 million people were vaccinated against it, including 1.8 million children. This led to a significant reduction in mortality from pneumonia (by almost 11%), and in young children-by 30 %."

The high percentage of vaccination coverage in the Lipetsk region has already made significant progress in reducing the incidence of infections managed by specific prevention tools. No cases of diphtheria, polio, rubella, tetanus, or other infections were reported in 2016.

The Health Department of the Lipetsk Region, together with the Office of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare in the Lipetsk Region, developed an action plan "On holding the European Week of Immunization in the Lipetsk region".

According to the plan, "open days" are planned to be held in polyclinics and children's consultations, the issue of health bulletins on the topic of vaccination, a competition among medical professionals and other events. During April, the public will be provided with hotlines in the Health Department 23-80-70, 36-09-95, the Rospotrebnadzor Department 30-88-05, 30-88-39 and the Center for Vaccine Prevention 33-42-67 on individual immunization and vaccination safety.