GENEVA, Switzerland (CMC) — Several health organisations are warning that children under the age of one in the Caribbean are at risk of contracting diseases like diphtheria, measles and polio because the COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting life-saving immunisation services.
PAHO said data collected by WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, and the Sabin Vaccine Institute, indicate that the provision of routine immunisation services is “substantially hindered in at least 68 countries and is likely to affect approximately 80 million children under the age of one living in these countries”.
PAHO said WHO will this week issue new advice to countries on maintaining essential services during the pandemic, including recommendations on how to provide immunisations safely.
PAHO said many countries have “temporarily and justifiably suspended” preventive mass vaccination campaigns against diseases like cholera, measles, meningitis, polio, tetanus, typhoid, and yellow fever, due to risk of transmission and the need to maintain physical distancing during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It said at least 24 million people in 21 Gavi-supported lower-income countries are at risk of missing out on vaccines against polio, measles, typhoid, yellow fever, cholera, rotavirus, HPV, meningitis A, and rubella due to postponed campaigns and introductions of new vaccines.
