Honduras continues with the celebration of Vaccination Week in the Americas.

Tegucigalpa.

From April 25 to May 2, 2020, the countries and territories of the Americas and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) celebrate the 18th anniversary of Vaccination Week in the Americas and Honduras joins this initiative.

This year the world and the Region of the Americas are facing a new challenge, the COVID-19 pandemic. This disease has drastically changed our way of life. What will not change, is the fact that we are always committed to this vaccination tradition in every country in the Americas, and Honduras is not the exception.

As the Minister of Health, Alba Consuelo Flores, informed the general public, that vaccination services are open in health facilities and urge parents and caregivers of children under 5 to take them to receive their inoculation as well as the vaccine for 11-year-old girls. She reiterated that pregnant women must take vaccine also, always maintain personal protection measures and established social distancing to prevent the Coronavirus.

The objective of the Vaccination Week has always been to maintain the control, elimination and eradication of vaccine-preventable diseases. The Minister of Health, also reminds the public that vaccinating remains not only a challenge, but humanity's hope for global health.

The Vaccination Week, held in the last week of April, aims to highlight the collective actions necessary to ensure that the public is protected against vaccine-preventable diseases.

Vaccination saves millions of lives every year and is one of the most successful and cost-effective health interventions.

In Honduras, the 2020 National Vaccination and Deworming Day will be held in June for the general population and in May health personnel and people over 60 in nursing homes will be vaccinated.

Exenia Mann

Sr. Correspondent.