Immunisation Week marked in Jordan

AMMAN — The Ministry of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF are marking this year’s Immunisation Week through an intensive awareness campaign held under the theme “Protected together”, a WHO statement said.

Lasting for the entire week, the event will include distributing advocacy materials, interviews on national TV channels and conducting local awareness activities to all Ministry of Health’s facilities in the Kingdom to raise the awareness of the communities. 

"This campaign, held under the hashtag #VaccinesWork, aims to highlight that protecting entire communities with vaccines protects everyone," the statement said.

Jordan achieved universal child immunisation in 1988 and has made considerable progress in reducing the major health risks to infants and children, while being polio free since 1995.

Immunisation in Jordan is mandatory for all target populations and vaccination cards, provided free of charge, regardless of nationality, are mandatory for school entry, according to the statement.

On the occasion of World Immunisation Week 2018, WHO praised frontline vaccinators and their role in combating deadly diseases to ensure that people remain protected, the statement read, adding "health workers’ efforts to increase immunisation strengthens the foundation for strong primary healthcare and is a route towards universal health coverage".