Humanly Possible
Some of the greatest achievements in health belong to all of us. In the second half of the 20th century, families, communities, health workers and governments in the Western Pacific Region have taken part in global vaccine drives that have eradicated smallpox, kept the Region polio-free, and helped more infants see their first birthday. Each of us is proof that vaccines work.
Today, every country in the world has a national immunization programme, thanks to the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). Established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1974, EPI aimed to combat and prevent various communicable diseases through immunization. At its inception, EPI focused on protecting children against six childhood vaccine-preventable diseases, but today, this number has grown to 13 universally recommended vaccines across the life-course, and 17 additional vaccines with context-dependent recommendations.
This year, World Immunization Week will celebrate the 50th anniversary of EPI – recognizing our collective efforts to reach everyone with lifesaving vaccines and calling attention to the need to further protect more children, adults and their communities.
While 94% of children in the Western Pacific received their routine immunization in 2022, far too many are still at risk of suffering from vaccine-preventable diseases, like measles and diphtheria, because of vaccine inequity. However, there are still 1.15 million children who are un- or under-vaccinated in the Western Pacific.
There is no reason why we can’t make it possible for everyone to benefit from the life-saving power of vaccines. Let's work to ensure every person in the Western Pacific receives their vaccinations and has the opportunity to pursue a life well lived.
This year's campaign aims to:
- Celebrate 50 years of children growing up protected against vaccine-preventable diseases.
- Promote demand for immunization and conduct catch-up vaccination, wherever applicable, to reach zero-dose and under-immunized children in the Western Pacific.
- Increase recognition and awareness of the value of vaccines across the life-course, and mitigate risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks.