The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says Antigua and Barbuda, and St Kitts and Nevis exceeded the vaccination coverages reported in 2019 this year. This means these countries did better compare to the pre COVID-19 pandemic vaccination numbers.
PAHO said in recognition of this achievement, its Director Dr Jarbas Barbosa has sent letters of appreciation to Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda and his St. Kitts-Nevis counterpart Dr Terrance Drew.
In his letter, Dr Barbosa commended the countries “for the encouraging results in routine immunization coverage obtained in the last year, as reported in the joint WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC).
“The implementation of solid vaccination programs unequivocally represents one of the noblest commitments to the population, especially children: protecting their health and ensuring that the economy, labor, and education, among other areas, are not held back by vaccine-preventable diseases and epidemics.”
Both countries were reminded that “it is necessary to continue making progress in order to return the Region of the Americas to the top of the global ranking in immunization coverage, maintain our achievements, and advance in the strategy to eliminate communicable diseases”.
The PAHO Director said it is extremely important to ensure good coverage in all areas, and to use internal analysis to identify the population groups with the lowest levels of vaccination uptake and compliance with vaccination schedules.
He said for this reason, PAHO/WHO provides technical cooperation with innovative strategies to identify these groups and the barriers they face in accessing vaccination services.
PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries, Dr Amalia Del Riego, expressed her pride in the achievements of the two Caribbean countries. Underscoring the dedication and commitment of health professionals in the region, Dr Del Riego reaffirmed the commitment of PAHO to “continue its mandate of strengthening and supporting vaccination programs”.
