From us and from every child who is alive because of vaccines in Senegal, THANK YOU

His name was James Phipps, and in 1796 when he was just 8 years old, Edward Jenner gave him the first modern vaccine.

This vaccine defended him against smallpox. It was inspired by centuries of innovation by the physicians of North Africa, the grandmothers of Constantinople and the doctors of Ming Dynasty China, all seeking ways to protect the next generation from sickness and death.

That’s a quest I know well. I work at UNICEF, and for 75 years we’ve been the world’s largest procurer of vaccines, responsible for immunizing 45 per cent of children on Earth. But once upon a time, I was a child too, and there’s a good chance that I like many of the kids we work with, wouldn’t be here without vaccines. So, this is a gratitude letter from me, and from all of us here at UNICEF, on behalf of every child who is alive today because of vaccines.

Because we want to say, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU to the Government of Senegal, which very early on understood the urgent need to encourage and implement vaccination programs to ensure every child is protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. Thank you to the thousands of women and men, health workers, who work tirelessly every day across the country to vaccinate children. Ja guen jëëf!

I cannot help but marvel at the courage demonstrated by those who are going the extra mile to reach every child. This letter salutes those social mobilizers who worked tirelessly to overcome the entrenched hesitancy against vaccination in their community, so that science could prevail over superstition.

This letter celebrates the young volunteers for finding ingenious new ways to bust myths and for taking the lead in making their community understand the importance of vaccination in keeping them safe from the pandemic. They proved yet again that youth can become the harbingers of a new awakening.

This letter applauds health workers, who transcended their call of duty, reaching hitherto unreached and far-flung terrains with the spirit of not leaving anyone behind.

So this is a gratitude letter to our leaders in government, our development partners, communities and families – the ones who take healthcare seriously – because the only way we’ve got this far, and the only way we’ll get further, is by investing in healthcare for all.

In Senegal, about nine in ten children are vaccinated for all the main routine antigens. We therefore have one last child to reach.

The pandemic forced the country to revamp its systems for COVID-19 vaccination, investing time and resources that will help us strengthen also routine immunization and finally reach all the under-vaccinated, or the zero dose children who have never been vaccinated before. 

The country has now higher capacities and better systems in place to reach large populations in a short time even in remote areas, have developed new risk communication and community engagement expertise to provide information, address hesitancy and stimulate demand for vaccines. This is precious capital to build on and protect all children in the region from preventable diseases and death.

The journey is not complete, the systems are still far from adequate to reach each single child in the country and fulfil all their rights, but this speed of innovation can be the basis for a momentous leap forward. As we celebrate the World Immunization Week, we must hold on to all we have learnt and make the most of the solutions that transformed our lives in the last two years.

Now there’s just one person left to thank: you. This is a gratitude letter to you, because if you’ve ever been vaccinated, or have had your children vaccinated, then you are part of the chain of linked arms that keeps us all safe. You are the living proof of what humanity can do through dedication, cooperation and love. So from me, from all of us here at UNICEF, and from every child who is alive because of vaccines, thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Let’s secure a #LongLifeForAll

Silvia Danailov

UNICEF Representative in Senegal