Ensuring disability is no barrier to immunization

UNICEF is collaborating with the Ministry of Public Health and the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) to make sure no child misses their vaccinations. Thousands of children are being reached through community-based interventions.

“It wasn’t easy to get Mohammad and his parents to agree to the vaccination, so it feels like an achievement,” says UNICEF Immunization Specialist Dr Bhrigu Kapuria, who was part of the team at the makeshift immunization centre in Municipality of Deir Anoun, Ras El Ein-Tyre.

“This case was particularly rewarding, but we know we need to work even harder towards getting every child in Lebanon fully immunized. And that includes making sure that disability is never a barrier to immunization.”

UNICEF reaches almost half of the world’s children with life-saving vaccines, but millions of children still miss out on immunization. Children with disabilities are generally at greater risk of missing out on vaccinations, partly because they tend to have reduced access to mainstream health services.