World Immunisation Week

There will be a general debate on World Immunisation Week in the Commons Chamber on 2 May 2019.

World Immunisation Week 2019 is a global public health campaign that aims to promote the use of vaccines to protect people from disease. The theme of the 2019 campaign is ‘Protected together: Vaccines Work!’ The World Health Organization sets out its objectives:

The main goal of the campaign is to raise awareness about the critical importance of full immunization throughout lifeAs part of the 2019 campaign, WHO and partners aim to:

1. Demonstrate the value of vaccines for the health of children, communities and the world.
2. Highlight the need to build on immunization progress while addressing gaps, including through increased investment.
3. Show how routine immunization is the foundation for strong, resilient health systems and universal health coverage.[1]

The World Health Organization provide information about the impact and importance of immunisation, and highlights that it is estimated to avert 2-3 million deaths a year:

Immunization is a proven tool for controlling and eliminating life-threatening infectious diseases and is estimated to avert between 2 and 3 million deaths each year. It is one of the most cost-effective health investments, with proven strategies that make it accessible to even the most hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations.[2]

General information on vaccination is provided by the following sources:

• WHO, Immunisation
• NHS, Vaccinations and How vaccination saves lives, April 2016
• University of Oxford, Oxford Vaccines Group: Vaccine Knowledge project

[1] WHO, World Immunisation Week 2019

[2] WHO, Immunisation [accessed 1 May 2019]