Protecting Every Child: World Immunization Week 2025

Article contributed by Audra Stewart-Gordon, Community Health and Communications Coordinator

Each year, World Immunization Week is observed during the last week of April to raise awareness about the vital role vaccines play in protecting people of all ages—especially children. 

Why Vaccines Matter

Vaccination is one of the most effective and cost-efficient ways to prevent disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), immunizations currently prevent 3.5 to 5 million deaths every year from diseases such as measles, diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (WHO, 2024). Yet despite this progress, 1 in 5 children worldwide still miss out on essential vaccines.

The Impact on Children

Children who are unvaccinated are at much higher risk for severe illness, long-term disability, or death from preventable diseases. These risks are especially high in low-income and conflict-affected regions, where access to healthcare is limited.

Routine immunization not only protects the vaccinated child but also helps build herd immunity, reducing the overall spread of diseases in communities. This is particularly important for those who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons.

The Setbacks—and the Way Forward

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions in childhood vaccination efforts. In 2021 alone, 25 million children missed one or more doses of life-saving vaccines— the largest backslide in three decades (UNICEF, 2023). World Immunization Week serves as a reminder to recommit to reaching every child, everywhere.

How You Can Make a Difference

  • Check your child’s vaccine schedule. Stay up to date on all recommended shots.

  • Advocate for equitable access. Support organizations that bring vaccines to underserved communities.

  • Share reliable information. Help combat vaccine misinformation by using trusted sources like WHO or the CDC.

  • Talk to healthcare providers. Ask questions and make informed decisions based on science.

Let’s Build a Healthier Future

Vaccines save lives. By working together—parents, healthcare workers, policymakers, and communities—we can close the gap and ensure that every child, everywhere, has the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong.

Let this World Immunization Week be a turning point for action, awareness, and hope.

Sources:

  • World Health Organization. (2024). World Immunization Week 2024. Retrieved from https://www.who.int

  • UNICEF. (2023). State of the World's Children 2023: For Every Child, Vaccination. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org

  • Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention. Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention | Maine DHHS. (n.d.). https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/index.shtml 

POSTTracey CarlsonHPM, SB, immunization, immunization schedule, childhood vaccination, children's health