Millions of lives saved with immunizations every year

The administration of health centers and preventive medicine in Alkhobar concluded its awareness campaign in Al-Thahran complex under the slogan “Are you aware of the new developments?”
The campaign was held under the patronage of Abdulaziz Al-Barrak, director of health centers in Alkhobar, to commemorate international vaccination day.
The three-day campaign activities began last Thursday and included an exhibition with a number of educational booths, including one about basic immunization, which clarifies the importance of vaccinations and the diseases targeted by immunization. The exhibition also had different booths that encouraged parents to give children vaccinations approved by the Ministry of Health on time, in addition to a corner, which provided vaccinations for more than 247 children.
Dr. Liala Al-Aboud, director of preventive medicine in Alkhobar pointed out to the importance of the exhibition in its efforts to educate people about the importance of vaccinations.
For her part, Dr. Eiman Baker Al-Hawa stressed the importance of awareness campaigns that educate people about health issues, especially vaccinations, since many people don’t realize the importance of carrying out vaccinations at the appointed times to protect their children from dangerous diseases.
She added that international statistics point out that immunization prevents the death of 2 to 3 million people every year. Some diseases such as measles, polio and smallpox have been eliminated in most parts of the world. Life threatening diseases have become rather easy to deal with in some parts of the world thanks to vaccinations, she added. She said international figures are an incentive to increase local efforts to ensure vaccination services are available for all the population.
The exhibition also included a wing about emergency campaigns implemented by the Ministry of Health to prevent the spread of epidemics. Preventive measures against MERS CoV were highlighted, amid growing fears about the increasing death toll.
The exhibition concentrated on the importance of vaccinating adults and the suitable times for these vaccinations.
The World Health Organization and its partners allocated the last week of April of each year for immunization, to raise public awareness about the importance of vaccination and its role in limiting the spread of infections and diseases. Last year more than 180 countries, regions and provinces participated in celebrating this week through activities that included vaccination campaigns, workshops, discussion and media campaigns.