The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reaffirmed that vaccines remain one of the most effective public health interventions, protecting people at every stage of life as World Immunization Week is marked globally under the theme “For every generation, vaccines work.”
The campaign underscores a shift in global health messaging, emphasising that immunisation is not limited to childhood but is a lifelong necessity that continues to protect individuals from infancy through old age.
Health experts say early childhood vaccination remains essential because of developing immune systems, while booster doses during adolescence and targeted immunisation in adulthood and pregnancy help strengthen immunity and prevent severe disease across populations.
According to WHO data, vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past five decades, significantly reducing deaths and disability caused by diseases such as measles, polio, diphtheria and pertussis.
The global health body notes that newer vaccines are expanding protection against a wider range of diseases, including malaria, HPV, cholera, dengue, meningitis, RSV, Ebola and mpox, contributing to longer life expectancy and reduced pressure on health systems.
WHO also highlights the importance of maternal immunisation, where vaccines administered during pregnancy transfer protective antibodies to newborns, offering early-life protection before infants can receive their own vaccines.
Reinforcing the importance of sustained immunisation efforts, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has consistently emphasised that vaccines are essential beyond childhood.
“Vaccines are not just for children. They protect people of all ages,” he said.
He added that immunisation protects against diseases caused by viruses and bacteria, including measles, influenza and pneumonia, and also helps prevent certain cancers linked to infections.
“From infants to older adults, vaccines help guard against diseases caused by viruses and bacteria like measles, influenza and pneumonia. Some vaccines even protect against certain cancers such as cervical and liver cancers by preventing infections that lead to them,” Dr. Tedros said.
WHO says sustained investment in immunisation programmes is critical to maintaining global health gains and preventing the resurgence of preventable diseases, especially in vulnerable populations and underserved regions.
