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Epidemic diseases reduce childhood immunizations

The Covid-19 epidemic has brought major drops in childhood vaccines, putting countries at risk of epidemics, the World Health Organization has warned.

An estimated 23m children around the world missed the jabs last year as health services were disrupted, according to a WHO and Unicef ​​study. Vaccination declined in many countries, the show, and Southeast Asia and the eastern Mediterranean areas most affected.

In India last year, children over 3m did not receive the first vaccine for diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus combined, from 1.4m who were not harmed in 2019.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO chief executive officer, wants money to be spent on childhood vaccines, warning that the spread of several diseases could be “dangerous” in areas already infected with coronavirus.

“While countries are calling for the Covid-19 vaccine, we have moved on to another vaccine, leaving children at risk of serious but life-threatening illnesses such as measles, polio or meningitis,” he said.

Health professionals are affected that the plague has disrupted the immune system and delayed treatment of the disease, from cancer to heart problems.

Healthcare machines have been struggling to cope with the influx of Covid patients, supply chains have been disrupted and closed and some patients have been reluctant to seek care, fearing they could contract the virus.

While developed countries with high levels of access to Covid vaccines are trying to re-establish their health services, the epidemic has widened the gap between medical care. The two organizations say that 17m children – especially in conflict-affected areas, remote areas or in remote areas – may not have been vaccinated once a year.

Unicef ​​officials Henrietta Fore, said that even before the epidemic, there were “serious concerns” that the world is losing in the fight against childhood vaccines. In 2018, more than 140,000 people, many under the age of five, died measles how the cases grew, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Somalia and Ukraine.

The WHO estimates that 95 percent of children worldwide need a measles vaccine to prevent the spread of the disease – but the number of vaccines stands at about 86%.

“The scourge has multiplied. With the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine at the forefront of everyone’s mind, we must remember that the distribution of the vaccine is always different, but it should not be, “he said.

The vaccine could also be affected by a false reputation, especially in the United States, the two agencies have said. In the US this week, Tennessee halted preaching to attract young people to get vaccinated, soon after they resumed a campaign to promote the Covid shooting.

Seth Berkley, head of the Gavi vaccination alliance, said the “critical numbers” indicate “years of change”.

“This is a shock: we cannot allow the Covid-19 legacy to be a resurgence of measles, polio and other killers,” he said.


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