Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA) 2010, a week of the grand celebration of health in the Hemisphere in which every single country and territory in the Americas and tens of thousands of health workers and volunteers join forces to benefit 42 million children and adults.

The sheer size of VWA makes it important, since it is the biggest multinational public health effort. However, it is even more important because of the principles that it embodies. Getting vaccinated is not only an act of personal protection but one of solidarity with our fellow man that transcends socioeconomic status, gender, race, and creed. Getting vaccinated protects not only our own health but also that of our loved ones, friends, and even strangers.

Vaccination is also one of the areas that has been most successful in overcoming barriers in access to public health benefits. The theme of this VIII Vaccination Week in the Americas, “Reaching Everyone,” gives priority to groups with limited access to this benefit, such as residents of urban fringe areas, indigenous communities, and people living in rural or border areas, in addition to municipios with vaccination rates below 80%.

Read more:
Article published by several communications media of the Americas’ Region on the ocassion of the celebrating the 2010 Vaccination Week (VWA) in the Americas.