The duty to continue to protect children with vaccines | UNICEF GRAM | The future planet

I realized the importance of vaccines about 15 years ago, I was on the ground at Kinshasa for the first time, the capital Congo Democratic Republic (RDC)A country that is still suffering Wild polio. I visited the reception center for boys and girls who were suffering from the disease and their families could not take care of them. These children were presented from partial to almost all paralysis. I remember one of them specifically and when I felt when I felt when I felt crawling on the ground with flip flops in his arms to avoid suffering, because there was no other way to move him. His legs were deformed by the virus and were unable to access the wheelchair because they had only one in the middle and had to take turns between them. Looking at boys and girls living with paralysis, with very few resources, but with great strength and view mination, made me feel deeper of injustice: they could Vaccination to polio. Since 1988, over 3,000 million children have received immunity against the disease and 20 million people can walk to this vaccine today.

RDC has been announced Wild Poly FreeBut there are many other diseases that can affect children unevenly. They are diseases that can be prevented with vaccinations More. Since 2021, the number of cases is increasing per year Fall in vaccination coverage During and after the Covid -19 epic. In 2023, 10.3 million Meijils were recorded, 20% higher than in 2022. Unfortunately, we are facing a financing crisis of vaccination programs, which makes it very difficult to guarantee the health of the Global Southern Southern children. This crisis Limited The ability of companies such as UNICEF, WHO and Gavi, Interth Cantium for toinhality for toinhality is high to vaccinate Meijles for more than 15 million harm in fragile or fragile or affected countries, including the RDC.

A few years later my visit to Kinshaha’s reception center, I was doing what I was then The world’s largest refugee campDadab, in North Kenya, on the border with Somalia. There were many cases of polio and, by protocol, I had to put the reinforcement dose of the vaccine. At that time I understand more personally, that is, vaccinating. Knowing that I can protect myself from that virus, over time, I have been worthy of the duty to get me immunity; We have good luck in high -income countries. But this is not a matter of luck, as it is right to guarantee access to primary health services. However, most boys and girls are still without that access, especially in countries affected by conflicts, fragility or instability Somalia. And with regard to that right, we have been worse since 2023, this year, 14.5 million miners are expected to receive any of their basic vaccines, compared to 12.9 million in 2019. Children and adolescents have the right to vaccinate.

There are nearly 4.2 million boys and girls who are less than five who saved saved thanks to immunity

Once, in Somalia, I saw that some girls were playing under the burning sun and at their age, I thought I was lucky to have a very sophisticated pediatrician for their time, which I recommended my parents Vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV)A virus, whose infection indicates a variety of cancers, especially a significant risk factor in developing the uterus. In Africa, the highest rate of area The incidence of this type of cancer In the world, the vaccine coverage has doubled between 21 % to 40 % between 2020 and 2023, which reflects the global coordination effort to eradicate the disease.

In countries like Spain, we are not likely to see the Sequel of Polio or experience the Meijles epidemic, as we know about the importance of vaccines. Let us not lose that consciousness, and we do not lose the belief that humanity continues to work to prevent most children from suffering from paralysis due to a disease that can be easily prevented with vaccination. We cannot fail to support vaccination programs, when history clearly shows how millions of deaths prevent deaths. There are about 4.2 million children of five children who thanked the immune system. Our task is to continue to protect them with vaccination.