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. 2017 Dec 20:41:e150.
doi: 10.26633/RPSP.2017.150. eCollection 2017.

The evolution of Vaccination Week in the Americas

Alba Maria Ropero Alvarez  1 , Hannah Jane Kurtis  1 , Lauren Vulanovic  1 , Hayatee Hasan  2 , Cuauhtémoc Ruiz  1 , Elizabeth Thrush  1
Affiliations

The evolution of Vaccination Week in the Americas

Alba Maria Ropero Alvarez et al. Rev Panam Salud Publica. .

Abstract
in English, Spanish, Portuguese

This report covers the background and evolution of Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA), an initiative that started as a coordinated response to a 2002 measles outbreak in Colombia and Venezuela, and evolved into the model for other regions and World Immunization Week (WIW). VWA focuses on the work of national immunization programs, with special efforts to reach the unreached. This paper offers examples of how countries have leveraged VWA to implement a diverse array of vaccination activities, strengthening overall health services by integrating with other preventive health interventions, and bolstering "Pan-Americanism" and health diplomacy. The opportunities offered by this global initiative were clearly demonstrated in April 2016 when the successful global switch from the trivalent oral polio vaccine to the bivalent vaccine was synchronized with WIW. Going forward, VWA and WIW can help close the gaps in access to immunization and other health services, contributing to achieve universal health coverage.

Este informe incluye los antecedentes y la evolución de la Semana de Vacunación en las Américas, una iniciativa que comenzó como una respuesta coordinada a un brote de sarampión en Colombia y Venezuela en el 2002, y evolucionó hasta convertirse en modelo para otras regiones y para la Semana Mundial de la Inmunización.La Semana de Vacunación en las Américas se centra en el trabajo de los programas nacionales de inmunización, con esfuerzos especiales para llegar a las personas que todavía no estén cubiertas. En el presente trabajo se dan ejemplos de cómo los países han aprovechado la Semana de Vacunación para realizar diversas actividades relacionadas con la vacunación, fortalecer los servicios de salud en general mediante la integración con otras intervenciones preventivas y fomentar el “panamericanismo” y la diplomacia en torno a la salud.Las oportunidades que ofrece esta iniciativa mundial quedaron claramente evidenciadas en abril del 2016 con el éxito obtenido en la sustitución de la vacuna oral trivalente contra la poliomielitis por la vacuna bivalente, sincronizada con la Semana Mundial de la Inmunización. En el futuro, la Semana de Vacunación en las Américas y la Semana Mundial de Inmunización pueden ayudar a subsanar la brecha en el acceso a la inmunización y otros servicios de salud, y contribuir a alcanzar la cobertura universal de salud.

Este artigo narra os antecedentes e a evolução da Semana de Vacinação nas Américas (SVA), uma iniciativa que nasceu da resposta coordenada ao surto de sarampo na Colômbia e na Venezuela em 2002 e evoluiu como um modelo para as outras regiões e para a Semana Mundial da Imunização.A SVA põe ênfase no trabalho dos programas nacionais de vacinação e, principalmente, nos esforços para sealcançar quem ainda está inalcançado. São ilustrados exemplos de como os países têm aproveitado a SVA para implementar várias atividades de vacinação, fortalecendo os serviços de saúde em geral ao integrá-la a outras intervenções preventivas e reforçando o pan-americanismo e a diplomacia da saúde.As oportunidades criadas por esta iniciativa global ficaram bem evidentes em abril de 2016 com a bem-sucedida transição em nível mundial da vacina oral contra poliomielite trivalente à bivalente, em sincronia com a Semana Mundial da Imunização. Prosseguindo adiante, a SVA e a Semana Mundial da Imunização podem contribuir para sanar as lacunas no acesso à imunização e a outros serviços de saúde e alcançar a cobertura universal de saúde.

Keywords: Americas; Immunization programs; global health; health diplomacy; mass vaccination.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interests. None declared.

Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.. Estimated number of people vaccinated, by age group, as part of VaccinationWeek in the Americas (VWA), 2003–2017
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2. Timeline of Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA) and other sister vaccination week initiatives, 2002–2017
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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