Millions of Children Save their Lives thanks to Vaccines

Caracas, December 2, 2021.- The United Nations Fund for infants, UNICEF, and the Ministry of Popular Power for Health, make a call to all parents and caretakers to, despite the pandemic, take their children to get their proper vaccinations against tuberculosis, hepatitis b, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, pneumonia, measles, rubella, mumps, and yellow fever.

According to data from the World Health Organization and UNICEF, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant setback in childhood vaccination around the world, meaning that, in 2020, around 23 million boys and girls did not receive the basic vaccines; 3.7 million more than in 2019

To create awareness about these gaps in vaccination coverage that have increased during the pandemic, the communication campaign +Protegidos (+Protected) is launched in which it is recalled that vaccination must begin at birth, and continue strictly during the first year of life. and later receive the reinforcements of one, five, and ten years.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child establishes the right to health for all boys and girls and one way to guarantee it is through vaccination at the right time and in the right way.

If every child gets their shots on time, millions of lives could be saved around the world; To contribute to this goal, UNICEF, together with OPS, and in coordination with the country's authorities, supports the national immunization program through the purchase and distribution of vaccines, as well as the strengthening of the cold chain to guarantee that vaccines are stored at correct temperatures.

In Venezuela, UNICEF supports the country's efforts with the provision of BCG, Injectable Polio/Oral Polio, Yellow Fever, Diphtheria-Tetanus Toxoid, MMR (Measles, Rubella, and Mumps), and Pentavalent (this includes diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, pediatric hepatitis B, and Haemophilus Influenza type B).

Thanks to the contribution of international donors and in coordination with the country's authorities, UNICEF brought to Venezuela 7.3 million vaccines against tuberculosis, polio, yellow fever, diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, and rubella in 2020.

In addition, since 2019, UNICEF has contributed to the acquisition of the necessary equipment to ensure that the vaccines are properly stored and transported until the moment of their application to children and mothers.

To learn more about the immunization campaign and which vaccines correspond to your son or daughter, according to their age, go to www.unicef.org/venezuela

Note to editors

To download the campaign contents +Protegidos #LasVacunasFuncionan (+Protected, #VaccinesWork), enter here: LINK