Immunize for a Healthy Future: Know, Check, Protect

World Immunization Week, recognized by the World Health Organization during the last week of April, aims to promote one of the world’s most powerful tools for health – the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease. This year the WHO campaign slogan for the week was “Immunize for a Healthy Future: Know, Check, Protect.”

On April 29 and April 30, the AmeriCares India team conducted immunization awareness and documentation activities in the field. The activities included group and one-on-one awareness sessions and recording the immunization status of under-five children and pregnant women through door-to-door surveys.

Over two days, the activities were carried out at 15 mobile medical clinic locations. Through 28group awareness sessions and 45 one-on-one sessions the team was able to reach 303 patients.

Simultaneously, our team conducted door-to-door surveys in Ayodhya Nagar and Samarth Nagar, Chembur, Mumbai. A total of 102 under-five children and six pregnant women were covered in the survey.

During the survey, it was observed that 11 children had either incomplete immunization coverage or missing immunization records. Their mothers, or next-closest relatives, were counseled and marked for follow up. AmeriCares India counselors are working in coordination with the community health volunteers involved in the Routine Immunization program run by the government of India.

As a follow-up activity, the AmeriCares India counselors will try to get the children back on track with respect to their immunization status.