World Immunization Week (W.I.W.) is an annual event that raises awareness of the importance of immunization for protecting people of all ages against disease. It also highlights the progress made in expanding access to life-saving vaccines worldwide. This year’s World Immunization Week will be from April 24-30, 2022. The theme for World Immunization Week 2022 is “Protected Together, Progress for All”.

This year’s World Immunization Week will focus on ensuring equitable access to immunization for all people, regardless of where they live. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the progress made in expanding access to life-saving vaccines worldwide. Immunization protects us all, no matter who we are or where we come from. When we are vaccinated, we safeguard our health and help protect vulnerable people around us, including babies too young to be vaccinated and people with weakened immune systems.

Vaccines are one of the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions available and have helped save millions of lives. However, there are still many people worldwide who do not have access to life-saving vaccines. To achieve universal access to immunization by 2030, we must continue working together to expand access and improve the quality of immunization services for everyone, everywhere.

We celebrate World Health Organization’s (WHO) World Immunization Week from the 24th to the 30th of April (the last week of April). Their key aim is to boost and endorse the use of vaccines to protect people from diseases. Every year, the organization saves billions globally by vaccination.

WHO operates with countries worldwide to increase awareness about the importance of vaccines and guarantees that the governments get the necessary support and guidance to implement top-quality immunization programs. The ultimate objective of World immunization Week is to guard more individuals from preventable diseases.

Below are five things that are necessary to know about vaccinations:

• Vaccine immunization is the best way of protecting yourself against diseases.

Whatever you might hear or read, a vaccine produces an immune response similar to the immune response being offered by natural infections but without the critical risks of disability or death in association with an infection.

• It is better to get a vaccine, even if you think the risk of infection is minimum.

Fatal diseases that appear to be disappearing make a comeback when immunization rates decrease. Only by ensuring that each person gets their jabs can we assist in exterminating preventable diseases. Everyone needs to be responsible and fulfill their responsibility of getting a vaccine.

• Getting multiple vaccines at once is harmless

Offering multiple vaccines at one time does not negatively affect a kid’s immune system. It decreases distress for the kid as well as the resources. Kids have more exposure to viruses and bacteria than they are to vaccines.

• Fatal diseases can return if you do not receive a vaccine.

Even with the great access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, diseases still spread. When you and your young ones do not receive a vaccine, deadly infections that are now rare can rapidly come back and spread.

• Patience should get vaccines during slight illnesses

Medical professionals safely offer vaccines during a mild illness. However, kids and grownups with modest or severe illnesses must wait until they get better before getting a vaccine.

Those are the most crucial things people should understand about vaccines. However, those aren’t the only points to be known about vaccines. Here are a couple more:

What is the primary factor when deciding on whether to take a vaccine?

The thing that you should consider and understand is that vaccines work efficiently in regulating pandemics. Vaccines control past pandemics like polio and smallpox and current pandemics such as Coronavirus. There are countries than have more than half their people receive vaccines.

What is the efficacy of a vaccine?

A vaccine’s efficacy is the level at which a vaccine offers protection, regulates the transmission, and decreases the incidence of infections in controlled conditions. The smallpox vaccine has an efficacy of 95 percent and is effectively eradicating the infection. The oral polio vaccine contains a 98 percent efficacy and helps in eliminating polio worldwide. The current Coronavirus vaccines have an efficacy greater than 70 percent.

Vaccine efficiency is its safety and efficacy in the ‘current world.’ The current vaccines against COVID-19 have all been efficient.

What are the factors for determining the safety of a vaccine?

Firstly, a vaccine developer needs to ensure the vaccine isn’t harmful. Phase 1 revisions, rightly known as ‘first in human,’ are intended to establish the drug’s safety. This makes sure that the essential principle of ‘first, do no harm is revered. In addition, safety data is collected through vaccination.

What are vaccines’ side effects?

Vaccines have some side effects that are common but insignificant. Overall, the side effects might appear like flu and even impact the capacity to do daily duties; however, they will disappear in a couple of days. Despite the side effects, it is vital to take the second vaccine shot unless you get another opinion from a professional specialist.

Should People get the COVID-19 vaccine?

Yes, people should get the vaccine. Data from the Coronavirus pandemic, as well as from previous pandemics, is interestingly in favor of vaccination. Vaccines are your only hope at this phase, and the efficacy is higher than you could expect.

Why should someone get vaccinated if she/he has been fine so far?

You should get vaccinated for your own sake and your friends and family, specifically the elders. In addition, you assist humankind, too, by contributing to the growing immunity against the virus.

Once vaccinated, can you be free to get back to your pre-COVID lifestyle?

Not really. The vaccine decreases but does not eradicate your risk of getting the infection. Besides, you could be at risk of infecting others even if not at the risk of getting the infection. Therefore, until the pandemic is entirely controlled, the COVID-19 precautions set should be followed.

Should people that have recovered from COVID-19 get a vaccine?

Yes, they should, although not in a hurry. You do not know how long your immunity after recovering from the infection may last, though some reports show it is for six months. Also, there is no test of your immunity status. It is safe to just receive a vaccine.

Should people with comorbid conditions like lung, diabetes, and heart diseases get a vaccine?

Yes. People with comorbid issues are at a higher risk, and that is why they need to get a vaccine.

How safe is the vaccine for children?

There is no confirmation yet. All the trials thus far have been on adults; however, there are some undergoing trials on children. Pfizer began trials in October 2020, restraining the testing to ages 12 and older. Moderna specifies that it will start testing in children between 12 and 17 years. During this procedure, medical experts will study the dosages, interlude between doses, and the figure of doses that function well in children. The procedure could take a couple of months, and kids may have to wait.

Can you get Covid-19 from the vaccine?

No. The vaccine uses a deactivated virus, parts of a gene from the virus. None of these can lead you to get Covid-19.

When does the immunity start kicking in?

It takes between 4 to 6 weeks after the first dose and 10 to 12 days after the second dose.

Does the vaccine influence fertility?

No. The virus, however, does. It is harmless to get a vaccine.

What are the most important vaccines?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) recommends routine vaccinations against diseases like influenza, pertussis, and measles, as these are all highly contagious. Vaccines have used to protect individuals from deadly childhood diseases since the eighteenth century and continue to be an essential part of our healthcare system today. Some common vaccines include:

• Influenza vaccines protect against the flu virus and are recommend for children older than 6 months and adults over 50. These vaccines can be give as an injection or as a nasal spray.
• Pertussis (whooping cough) vaccines protect against this highly contagious disease that affects the respiratory system and causes severe coughing fits in young children. These vaccinations are usually gives to infants beginning at 2 months of age.
• Measles vaccines offer protection from measles virus infection and its associated complications, such as pneumonia and encephalitis. These vaccinations are typically gives to children between 12 to 15 months of age with a booster shot during kindergarten.

Vaccines have played an instrumental role in protecting individuals from serious diseases for hundreds of years and continue to be a crucial part of our public health system today. If you are unsure about which vaccines you need or have any questions about your vaccination history, talk to your doctor or healthcare provider as soon as possible.

Also Read: Omicron spread rapid, sheer numbers can overwhelm: WHO