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Immunization

Read what we're doing to ensure the region has a vaccine-protected population.

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20 November 2024

Challenging future projected for children in 2050 in world transformed by extreme climate crises, population shifts, and tech disparities

NEW YORK, 20 November 2024 – The future of childhood hangs in the balance if urgent action is not taken to safeguard children’s rights in a changing world, UNICEF warned in its flagship report released on World Children’s Day today. The State of the World’s Children 2024: The Future of Childhood in a Changing Wor...

24 October 2024

The deadly virus that causes paralysis in children

Poliomyelitis, or polio, is caused by a highly infectious virus. It is most often spread by the faecal-oral route, or through contaminated water or food. This is why polio cases are most often seen in areas that lack access to safe water and reliable sanitation , as well as those that have lower rates of immuniza...

22 October 2024

How Kosovo* is protecting girls against cervical cancer

Amara, a vivacious twelve-year-old from Prishtina, Kosovo, bubbles over with enthusiasm when you ask her about math, ballet, volleyball – and about the HPV vaccine. This spring, Amara was the first in her class to get the vaccine. She had "no worries" about accepting it, she says. It helped that her parents, both ...

14 October 2024

Yes, the MMR vaccine is safe

The MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, has been available since 1971. In the more than 50 years since then, tens of millions of babies and children have been followed and studied to track both the immediate and long-term impacts of the vaccine. Here is what we know about the safety, p...

07 October 2024

Why delayed vaccination schedules can be harmful to children

The vast majority of children worldwide receive their vaccinations at the recommended times. Almost 17 out of every 20 infants, for example, have received their three recommended doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP). However, some families consider changing or delaying vaccination s...

30 September 2024

How dangerous is measles?

For hundreds of years, measles has been one of the most contagious and lethal viruses known to humans. Especially for those who have not received a measles vaccination – and for babies, children, pregnant women, and for those with comorbidities, in particular – it remains so today.  As well as hospitalization and ...

What to know about HPV vaccination

The HPV vaccine protects against cancers and genital warts caused by the human papillomavirus, more commonly known as HPV. It is recommended for children as young as 9-years-old and up to 26 years of age. Both boys and girls can be infected with HPV, so it’s very important to talk to your doctor about getting your...

123,000 children in Europe and Central Asia are missing out on lifesaving vaccines

GENEVA, 15 July 2024 – 123,000 children in Europe and Central Asia have not received any routine vaccinations, according to the latest estimates of national immunization coverage (WUENIC) launched by WHO and UNICEF today. ‘Zero-dose’ children, those who have not received any routine vaccine, are at greater risk o...

Strengthening confidence in vaccines, demand for immunization and addressing vaccine hesitancy

To increase confidence in childhood vaccines and demand for immunization, UNICEF ECARO (Europe and Central Asia Regional Office) has created a training package on IPC for immunization. The training package, developed and tested in collaboration with John Hopkins Centre for Communication Programmes in 2018, aims to...

Measles cases across Europe continue to surge, putting millions of children at risk

COPENHAGEN/GENEVA, 28 May 2024 – Measles cases across Europe continue to surge, with the number of measles cases recorded for this year soon to exceed the total number of cases reported throughout 2023, warned WHO and UNICEF today. According to the latest available data, 56,634 measles cases and four deaths were o...

Global immunization efforts have saved at least 154 million lives over the past 50 years

Geneva / New York / Seattle, 24 April 2024 – A major landmark study to be published by The Lancet reveals that global immunization efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives – or the equivalent of 6 lives every minute of every year – over the past 50 years. The vast majority of lives saved – 101 million – were those of infants. The study,…

Humanly possible

Vaccines are one of humanity's greatest achievement. In the last 50 years alone, they’ve saved nearly 154 million lives – that’s more than 3 million lives a year or six people every minute for five decades. WHO recommends 13 universal immunizations across the life course to defend against deadly illnesses, from pn...