21st August, 2024

Bridgetown, Barbados, 19 August 2024 (PAHO) - Thanks to Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Kitts and Nevis, the Region of the Americas is the only World Health Organization (WHO) region to have exceeded in 2023 the vaccination coverages reported in 2019, prior to the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In recognition of this achievement, PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa sent letters of appreciation to Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, The Hon. Gaston Browne, and Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, The Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew. In his correspondence, Dr. Barbosa commended the countries for the encouraging results in routine immunization coverage obtained in the last year, as reported in the joint WHO and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC).

Dr. Barbosa described the nations’ commitment to vaccination as noble. The implementation of solid vaccination programs unequivocally represents one of the noblest commitments to the population, especially children: protecting their health and ensuring that the economy, labor, and education, among other areas, are not held back by vaccine-preventable diseases and epidemics.

Both nations were reminded that it is necessary to continue making progress in order to return the Region of the Americas to the top of the global ranking in immunization coverage, maintain our achievements, and advance in the strategy to eliminate communicable diseases.

Dr. Barbosa said it is extremely important to ensure good coverage in all areas, and to use internal analysis to identify the population groups with the lowest levels of vaccination uptake and compliance with vaccination schedules. For this reason, PAHO/WHO provides technical cooperation with innovative strategies to identify these groups and the barriers they face in accessing vaccination services.

Dr. Amalia Del Riego, PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries (ECC), expressed her pride in the achievements of the two ECC nations. Underscoring the dedication and commitment of health professionals in our region, Dr. Del Riego reaffirmed the commitment of PAHO to continue its mandate of strengthening and supporting vaccination programs.

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