Strengthening Immunization Efforts to #BuildBackImmunity

World Immunization Week, celebrated globally during the last week of April, brings together partners across the world to promote the use of lifesaving vaccines that protect children and people of all ages against illness. This year’s theme, #BuildBackImmunity, aims to highlight the importance of recovering from the losses in routine vaccination coverage suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerating progress in the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases.

The Ministry of Health, in partnership with UNICEF and WHO, is marking World Immunization Week in Kosovo as a pivotal moment to reaffirm the urgent need for immediate actions to combat vaccine hesitancy and misinformation and commit to supporting recovery of health systems after the pandemic.

The pandemic has caused a concerning decline in routine immunization globally, as highlighted in UNICEF’s 2023 flagship report, "The State of the World's Children." The report reveals that one in five children worldwide are not fully protected against vaccine-preventable diseases, and the rise of infectious diseases like measles has become a growing concern for many countries. Globally, the number of measles cases has doubled in 2022 compared to the previous year, with cases identified in numerous countries across Europe, including in areas near Kosovo[1].

Unfortunately, the negative impacts of the pandemic on immunization have also affected Kosovo. Administrative data reveals that the coverage of measles vaccine in Kosovo has declined by up to 10 per cent between 2019 and 2021. Currently, one out of every eight children aged 1 in Kosovo has not received the MMR vaccine, which offers protection against measles.[2]

“For this year's Immunization Week, UNICEF and its partners are emphasizing our commitment to protect every child from preventable diseases. We need to work together to mobilize resources for catch-up efforts to reach unvaccinated children everywhere and increase our investment in strengthening maternal and child health services within the primary health care system” said Nona Zicherman, UNICEF Head of Office in Kosovo.

Vaccine hesitancy is another significant barrier that needs to be addressed. According to the data from UNICEF's State of the World's Children report, confidence in vaccines has significantly decreased compared to pre-pandemic times. Here in Kosovo as all around the world, it is crucial to tackle this challenge by strengthening the capacities of health care workers in addressing parents' concerns, by generating evidence on drivers of beliefs and behaviors, and by engaging communities for behavior change.

Oleksandr Martynenko, the Head of WHO office in Pristina emphasized “All vaccines that are available in Kosovo are WHO pre-qualified. This means that all vaccines in Kosovo are safe and effective. Don’t hesitate to take life-saving vaccines. They do not cause diseases. They prevent death.”

As part of the institutional commitment to immunization, Kosovo plans to introduce three new vaccines in the routine immunization calendar this year. UNICEF and WHO will work closely with the health authorities to ensure that every child in Kosovo has access to life-saving vaccines and is protected against preventable diseases.

Dr. Vitia, the Minister of Health, stated, “We must prioritize strengthening overall maternal and child health services within primary health care. We will continue to focus our efforts on increasing access to vaccines for all children in Kosovo and reaching those hardest to reach. We look forward to continuing our strategic partnership with UNICEF, WHO, USAID and the EU to improve and sustain access to quality health care for all children in Kosovo, so they can be healthy and reach their full potential.”

[1] State of the World’s Children, https://www.unicef.org/media/108161/file/SOWC-2023-full-report-English.pdf

[2] These are administrative data, which are reported to WHO portal accessible through the following link: https://immunizationdata.who.int/pages/coverage/MCV.html?CODE=XKX&ANTIGEN=MCV1&YEAR= Please note that the data for 2019 are missing in the portal.