World Immunization Week 2025 was celebrated from April 24 to 30, mobilizing countries and communities around the theme “Immunization for all is humanly possible”. Promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and in the Americas by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). The campaign highlights the importance of vaccines in protecting people of all ages against preventable diseases. This global initiative – known regionally as Vaccination Week in the Americas – seeks to raise awareness about the benefits of immunization and encourage the updating of vaccination cards for children, adolescents, adults and the elderly.
Vaccines save lives and strengthen public health
Vaccines are recognized as one of the greatest achievements in public health, saving millions of lives every year. In the last 50 years, immunizers have prevented at least 154 million deaths – the equivalent of six lives saved every minute. Thanks to widespread vaccination coverage over the decades, devastating diseases such as smallpox have been eradicated from the world, and polio is on the verge of being eliminated globally. In addition, immunization protects throughout the life course: babies against diseases such as measles and rotavirus, adolescents against HPV, pregnant women against neonatal tetanus and the elderly against influenza, among many others. Each dose administered contributes to healthier communities and prepare new generations for a future with fewer preventable diseases.
Vaccination coverage on alert
Despite the successes, global vaccination coverage has suffered setbacks in recent years, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the spread of misinformation about vaccines. Millions of children have missed out on essential immunizations: in 2023 alone, around 22 million children worldwide did not receive their first dose of the measles vaccine. In the Region of the Americas, vaccination rates have fallen to levels not seen in decades, which increases the risk of the return of diseases that have already been controlled, such as measles and polio. Faced with this worrying scenario, countries are urged to intensify routine immunization programs and implement active search campaigns to reach unvaccinated populations or those with delayed schedules. Strengthening health systems, training professionals and combating unfounded rumors are fundamental measures to recover optimal coverage levels and prevent outbreaks of preventable diseases.
“Immunization for all” – a possible and urgent goal
World Immunization Week 2025 reinforces the message that reaching the entire population with vaccines is an achievable and urgent goal. Under the slogan “Immunization for all is humanly possible”, PAHO/WHO encourages countries to revitalize their national immunization programs, putting vaccination back at the top of the health agenda and regaining public confidence in the safety and efficacy of immunobiological. Among the objectives of the campaign are to promote the updating of vaccination records at all stages of life, to recover the vaccination coverage targets necessary for the control and elimination of diseases and to maintain polio-free status in the Region of the Americas. Globally, these actions are aligned with the WHO’s 2030 Immunization Agenda – a plan that guides countries to leave no one behind when it comes to vaccines and which aims to prevent tens of millions of deaths by the end of the decade by expanding vaccination coverage. Communication initiatives also play an important role: information campaigns, educational resources and engagement on social networks seek to combat vaccine hesitancy and clarify the population’s doubts, showing that vaccines work and save lives.
VWA 2025 Window of Knowledge
To support the dissemination of up-to-date and reliable information on immunization, the Window of Knowledge Vaccination Week in the Americas 2025 is now available on the Virtual Health Library’s Regional Portal. The Window of Knowledge brings together technical materials, campaigns, scientific publications, videos and other resources developed by international organizations, ministries of health and partner institutions.
The aim is to strengthen access to quality information and contribute to raising awareness about the importance of vaccination at all stages of life. Access the available content of the Window of Knowledge Vaccination Week in the Americas.