World Immunisation Week 2025: As measles continues to create a rampage in the US, WHO underscores the importance of vaccines

As the measles outbreak in the US continues to spread panic among people, many have initiated discussions about how to protect children and high-risk individuals from it. The answer lies in the concept of immunisation. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) observes the last week of April as World Immunisation Week to highlight the collective action needed and to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease.

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As per WHO, over the last 50 years, essential vaccines have saved at least 154 million lives. That’s 6 lives a minute, every day, for five decades. The measles vaccine alone accounts for 60% of those lives saved. 

Vaccination does not stop with the children, essential vaccines are needed to protect the elderly from influenza, pregnant mothers from tetanus and women from HPV. 

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22 million children missed their first measles vaccine in 2023, informed WHO, underscoring the importance of these essential shots to keep such diseases at bay. 

Under the theme, ‘Immunisation for All is Humanly Possible', World Immunisation Week 2025 aims to ensure more children, adolescents, and adults are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases.

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The week highlights the necessity to opt for a sustainable way to stop the disease cycle by taking the shots. Responding to an outbreak proves to be an expensive and ineffective way to fight a disease which even puts lives at risk. 

 

Health