2024 Vaccination Week in the Americas delivers 65 million doses, protecting millions with Canadian support – PAHO/WHO

Washington, DC, January 14, 2025 (PAHO) –Vaccination Week in the Americas (VAW) 2024, supported by the Canadian government, administered more than 65 million vaccine doses in 34 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, protecting millions of people. particularly those in vulnerable communities. The figure reflects a substantial increase of 2 million doses over the 63 million administered during SVA 2023, according to data published this month by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

The 22nd annual VAS, coordinated by PAHO and held from April 20 to 27, 2024, underscored the region’s commitment to combating vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) and advancing efforts to recover and overcome the vaccination levels prior to the pandemic.

“Vaccination Week has been an emblematic initiative of our organization for more than 20 years,” said PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa. “Historically, our region has been a leader in disease elimination. However, for more than a decade, vaccination coverage has decreased significantly due to several factors, including the false perception that diseases that have been eliminated or controlled no longer represent a risk to people’s health. .

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) played a key role in SVA 2024, providing financial support through Canada’s global program. can give Vaccine Equity Initiative. This funding helped ensure equitable access to vaccines, particularly in underserved areas, and strengthened health systems across the region.

Key achievements of SVA 2024

• More than 30 million doses of influenza vaccines have been administered in 23 countries, targeting high-risk groups such as pregnant women, the elderly and healthcare workers.
• Approximately 11.5 million people were immunized against COVID-19, spread across 16 participating countries.
• SVA successfully vaccinated 3.8 million people against polio and 4.3 million against measles, supporting regional goals to prevent the resurgence of these diseases.
• The SVA also vaccinated 2.7 million people against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer, a leading cause of death among women in the region.

During SVA 2024, countries also focused on increasing the uptake of routine vaccination against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT vaccine), and against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR vaccine). Countries focused on vaccinating vulnerable groups such as indigenous and tribal communities in Brazil, Colombia and Suriname. In Ecuador, vaccinators focused on increasing the vaccination of boys and girls against HPV, with special emphasis on girls who were left out during the pandemic.

A broader context

SVA 2024’s regional goals focused on using the event to continue revitalizing national immunization programs, which were in long-term decline and accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to efforts like SVA, the Americas celebrated 30 years of being certified polio-free in 2024 and regained their measles-free status.

For Dr. Barbosa, the World Health Organization (WHO) 2023 vaccination data published in July 2024 indicated that the Americas have shown important progress in reversing the downward trend in vaccination. “The region of the Americas shows positive results, undoubtedly thanks to the efforts of the countries’ health professionals, the investments made, the political commitment and the responsible population that recognizes the importance of vaccination,” he stated.

He emphasized that in July 2024, the Americas were the only WHO Region that exceeded pre-pandemic vaccination levels, “indicating a considerable acceleration of recovery.” But he warned that some countries are still lagging behind. Continuous efforts are needed to “re-achieve the vaccination coverage that historically placed us at the top of the world ranking.”

Dr. Barbosa has also emphasized the need for sustained investment in immunization programs, including the adoption of innovations such as georeferencing tools to identify gaps and strategies to combat vaccine hesitancy.

The SVA 2024 campaign continued to build on decades of progress. Since PAHO began VAS in 2002, the initiative has reached more than 1.2 billion people, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone of immunization efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Next year, PAHO will continue to collaborate with Canada and countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region to expand access to vaccines, particularly for vulnerable communities, and overcome vaccine hesitancy.