Country stories on vaccination

10 May 2013 -- In the last week of April 2013, more than 180 countries, WHO and partners marked World Immunization Week. This package of feature stories from different countries highlighted the progress being made against vaccine-preventable diseases in every WHO Region.

• Read the stories from countries

19 April 2013 -- Immunization averts an estimated 2-3 million deaths every year, providing protection from diphtheria, measles, pertussis (whooping cough), pneumonia, polio, rotavirus diarrhoea, rubella and tetanus. Yet, an estimated 22 million infants are not fully immunized with routine vaccines. There is an urgent need to better communicate the health benefits of vaccination and the dangers of not immunizing children.

• Watch and listen to global experts talking about the future of global immunization
• Read more about vaccination myths and facts

12 April 2013 -- Cambodia almost doubled the number of children being immunized against measles in the ten years after 2000. But by 2011, 20% of the country’s children were still not getting even the first of the two vaccinations they need to protect them from measles. Read the feature story on how Cambodia found a way to immunize more children against measles and improve access to other health services.

• Read the feature story on Cambodia
• Read more feature stories on vaccination

World Immunization Week, beginning on 20 April, aims to promote one of the world’s most powerful tools for health – the use of vaccines to protect, or "immunize", people of all ages against disease.

Under the global slogan "Protect your world – get vaccinated", WHO encourages individuals and organizations working at international, regional, national, and community levels, in the public and private sectors, to coordinate and engage in activities during World Immunization Week.

• Read more about the event
• Register your event