The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has called on countries in the Americas to strengthen immunization efforts during Vaccination Week in the Americas, taking place from April 25 to May 2, as the region faces a worrying resurgence of measles cases. Despite strong overall progress in vaccination coverage and historic achievements in disease elimination, PAHO warns that significant gaps in immunization continue to leave millions of people, especially children, vulnerable to preventable diseases.
Vaccination Week in the Americas remains a major regional public health initiative aimed at expanding access to vaccines and addressing missed immunizations. Since its launch in 2002, it has enabled the administration of more than 1.2 billion vaccine doses across participating countries. This year’s campaign is expected to deliver around 90 million vaccine doses, including influenza vaccinations and catch-up immunization for more than 7.2 million children who are either unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated.
While the region has achieved major milestones such as the elimination of polio, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome, PAHO highlights that vaccination coverage, although improved, has not reached the levels needed to fully prevent disease outbreaks. In 2024, coverage for key childhood vaccines such as measles, mumps, and rubella remained below optimal thresholds, and over 1.4 million children still did not receive any routine vaccines. Health officials stress that these gaps represent a continued risk to communities across the region.
A key concern is the sharp resurgence of measles, a disease previously eliminated in the Americas. The region lost its elimination status in 2018, regained it in 2024, and lost it again in 2025. Measles cases have surged significantly, with thousands reported across multiple countries and a rising share of global cases now occurring in the Americas. Health experts warn that most infections and related deaths are occurring among unvaccinated individuals, highlighting the consequences of declining coverage in certain populations.
PAHO emphasizes that measles is highly contagious and can lead to severe complications or death, making high vaccination coverage essential to prevent outbreaks. The organization is supporting countries through improved surveillance, outbreak response, and vaccine procurement mechanisms to ensure more equitable access. However, officials stress that challenges such as misinformation, limited access, and low risk perception continue to hinder progress.
Health leaders underline that vaccination is not only a personal health measure but also a collective responsibility that protects entire communities. PAHO reiterates that eliminating vaccine-preventable diseases remains achievable, but only if countries urgently close immunization gaps and maintain consistently high coverage levels across all populations.
