Photo essay

Moment of pain, life-time gain

Youssef gets a safe and well-preserved shot for life-time immunization thanks to USAID’s support

Dalia Younis
Father holding his baby
UNICEF/Egypt 2024/Dalia Younis
07 May 2024

On a rainy day in the coastal city of Alexandria, Khaled brought his little Youssef for the 4-month vaccine dose. Despite the cold weather, Khaled and his wife were keen to get their child vaccinated on time. 

Father getting his child vaccinated
UNICEF/Egypt 2024/Dalia Younis The nurse (on the left) was complementing Youssef’s mother for getting him vaccinated on time according to the routine immunization schedule. Such discipline among millions of young parents in Egypt helped the elimination of all vaccine preventable diseases that their own generation didn’t witness. Thanks to the remarkable Egyptian Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI) supported by UNICEF, Egypt has been Polio-free since 2006. The country has also been off the list for maternal and neonatal Tetanus endemic countries since 2007. In 2023, the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) finally announced that Egypt eliminated Measles.
Father holding his child for vaccination by nurse
UNICEF/Egypt 2024/Dalia Younis As part of the global strategy to eradicate polio, the fourth month dose of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) is now accompanied by an additional shot (the IPV).
Father holding his child for vaccination by nurse as mother looks on
UNICEF/Egypt 2024/Dalia Younis While dad holds the baby, mom hold her tears as Youssef gets the shot. A few seconds of pain worth the gain of life-time immunity.
Vaccine Fridge
UNICEF/Egypt 2024/Dalia Younis To support vaccine preservation at optimum quality for Youssef and millions of children in Egypt, UNICEF through the financial support of USAID and the Canadian government, has provided MoHP with vaccine freezers in different governorates in 2024.

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