A global collaborative drive for immunization, begun in the mid-1970s — with the establishment of the Expanded Programme on Immunization in all countries — achieved dramatic results, raising vaccination levels from as low as 5% to more than 80% in many countries by 2013. WHO estimates that today immunizations prevent between 2 and 3 million deaths annually and protect many more people from illness and disability.
Although progress has stalled in recent years, this early success demonstrates the potential of vaccines, which are increasingly being extended from children to adolescents and adults, providing protection against diseases such as influenza, meningitis and cervical and liver cancers.
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为弥合免疫差距，全球疫苗行动计划建议采取三个主要步骤：
The GVAP recommends three key steps for closing the immunization gap:
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将免疫纳入其它卫生服务，比如产后母婴保健；
integrating immunization with other health services, such as postnatal care for mothers and babies;
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加强卫生系统，使疫苗即使在遇有危机时继续得到接种；
strengthening health systems so that vaccines continue to be given even in times of crisis; and
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确保所有人都可获得疫苗并可支付得起。
ensuring that everyone can access vaccines and afford to pay for them.
Dr Jean-Marie Okwo-Belé, Director of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at WHO, says the Organization will work to increase its support to all countries that are lagging behind in meeting immunization targets.
In May this year, WHO will bring together high-level representatives of 34 countries with routine vaccination (three doses of DTP3) coverage of less than 80% to discuss the challenges faced by countries and to explore solutions to overcome them.
Although many countries are already vaccinating four out of five children with DTP3, a full one-third of countries are still struggling to reach the ‘fifth child’, meaning millions of children remain at risk of illness, disability or death because they are not getting the immunizations they need.
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“并没有可以确保向每位儿童提供并接种疫苗的单一集中方法。
“There is no one centralized approach that can ensure vaccines are delivered and administered to each child.