Greater efforts needed to get routine immunization back to pre-Covid times: WHO

The World Health Organization on Saturday called for greater efforts in the SouthEast Asia Region to revive routine immunization rates to preCovid times stressing that despite concerted efforts by countries challenges and gaps persistCommendably the region has administered 3 billion doses of Covid19 vaccines to date since January 2021 when the first dose of vaccine was administered in the SouthEast Asia Region As we focus on further scaling up Covid19 vaccination coverage we must also do all we can to ensure no child is deprived of lifesaving vaccines offered under routine immunization services said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh Regional Director WHO SouthEast AsiaMany counties have demonstrated that routine immunization can be maintained or scaled up along with Covid19 vaccination she said on a statementThis speaks for a very committed health work force which has to manage both considerable challengesBangladesh Maldives Sri Lanka and Thailand maintained high vaccination rates over 95 per cent DTP3 coverage throughout the Covid19 pandemicBhutan witnessed a slight decline in 2020 but surpassed its prepandemic coverage of 97 per cent to record 98 per cent DTP3 coverage in 2021 it saidGlobally DTP3 third dose of vaccines for diphtheria tetanus and pertussis in oneyear old children is a proxy indicator for immunization coverage it saidNepal substantially revived routine immunization coverage for DTP3 from 84 per cent in 2020 to 91 per cent in 2021 These six countries have also achieved high Covid19 vaccination coverage the WHO statement saidRoutine immunization coverage declines witnessed in 2020 in India and TimorLeste seem to have stabilized in 2021 indicating programme recoveries as well it saidIn 2021 India provided close to 2 billion doses of Covid19 and other childhood vaccines taken together over five times more vaccines administered in the country during the year than in 2020 the statement saidAll countries in the SouthEast Asia Region focused on routine immunization while prioritizing essential services during the pandemic and concerted efforts continue to be made to scaleup vaccination coverage with a focus on identifying and vaccinating missed children the world health body saidEfforts for measles and rubella elimination a flagship priority in the Region continued during the pandemic Nepal substantially increased the coverage for second dose of measles and rubella vaccine from 76 per cent in 2019 to 87 per cent in 2021 Bangladesh Bhutan Maldives and Sri Lanka maintained their respective coverage rates throughout the pandemic the statement saidTo revitalize routine immunization coverage following the Covid19 pandemic WHO convened a SouthEast Asia Regional Working Group on Immunization in March this year focusing on programme intensification it saidStrengthening catchup campaigns tracking unvaccinated and under vaccinated children combining Covid19 vaccination with routine immunization training of health workers and addressing concerns of communities were stressed the statement saidHowever concerns and challenges remain it addedWHO is cognizant of the efforts and is supporting Member States improve routine immunization coverage With stepped up efforts in recent months we hope to see a speedy scaleup of DTP3 coverage to the prepandemic level of 91 per cent in 2019 from 82 per cent in 2021 and second dose measles and rubella vaccine coverage to beyond 83 per cent in 2019 from 78 per cent in 2021 the Regional Director saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever