By: Mavis Offei Acheampong.
Vaccines have been the world’s most cost effective and safe public health intervention that has saved over a billion lives the world over. Though there are misconceptions about vaccines, vaccines have undoubtedly and successfully helped to eradicate, eliminate, and manage many deadly infectious diseases.
Smallpox has been eradicated and polio is nearly gone. Cervical cancer could become the first cancer to be eliminated.
As the global community marks World Immunization Week in April, the global call for action is; “Big Catch up” on Immunization as Covid-19 pandemic disrupted gains made on Immunization. On this day, Pfizer a global Bio-Pharmaceutical company is advocating for the restoration and strengthening of immunization services to reach the millions of people missing out on the life-saving benefits of vaccines to stop outbreaks from accelerating.
In a statement, Pfizer’s Medical Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, Dr. Kodjo Soroh, said Global vaccination coverage figures are looking up, but there are huge inequalities that the world cannot afford to ignore.
He said, to help protect as many people as possible from life-threatening illness, Pfizer is working to develop and distribute vaccines throughout the world. ‘We’ve already seen that by channeling resources to the most promising public health opportunities, we can have an impact across all areas of life.”
Dr. Kodjo Soroh emphasized that, more than at any time in history, people are now benefiting from safe and effective vaccines that prevent infections and diseases. These injections according to him, have protected people of all ages, from newborns to adults.
He said, “At Pfizer, we have a long history in vaccine research and development, including a pivotal role in the eradication of polio and smallpox. Through the development of innovative delivery systems and technologies (the term often used is “novel vaccines”), we’ve created innovations for preventing deadly bacterial infections”.
He stated that Pfizer’s work is still not done because many viruses and bacteria still present a serious health risk. “So we continue to focus on research and development in new areas, with the goal of adding more approved vaccines to tackle pathogens.” He said.
Dr. Soroh entreated all to get vaccinated when the need be, to protect themselves from any preventable disease and stay up to date on recommended vaccinations.
He emphasized; “By getting vaccinated, you can protect yourself and also avoid spreading preventable diseases to other people in your community. Some people cannot get certain vaccines because they are too young or too old or they have a weakened immune system or other serious health condition. Those people are less likely to catch a preventable disease when you and others around them are vaccinated against it.”
This year’s World Immunization Week which runs from 24 to the 30th of April, will mark the beginning of a year-long campaign with the theme “The Big Catch-up,” representing a global push to vaccinate millions of children and return to pre-pandemic vaccination levels.
Every year during World Immunization Week Pfizer takes the time to celebrate the impact of vaccines, and this year is no exception even in the midst of heightened concern and apprehension around the status of vaccination programs around the world.
VACCINES:
Vaccines help in preventing and controlling over 30 infectious diseases, reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and controlling infectious disease outbreaks.
They also play a critical role in combatting antimicrobial resistance: they can reduce antibiotic use by preventing bacterial infections in the first place, such as with the pneumococcal and meningococcal vaccines, and can also prevent viral infections such as flu, which can provoke secondary infections requiring antibiotics.
About Pfizer: Breakthroughs that changes Patients’ lives
Pfizer, applies science and global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. Its aim is to strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products, including innovative medicines and vaccines.