Featured Stories
Syria launched a 10-day Big Catch-Up activity on April 21, just ahead of World Immunization Week. The effort enlisted over 10,000 health workers, including 4,451 vaccinators at fixed sites and 1,097 mobile medical teams. Operating out of 993 public health centers and 70 temporary vaccination posts, the push aimed to screen over 2 million children under age 5 and administer bivalent OPV to all screened kids, regardless of immunization history. Moreover, vaccinators sought to protect zero-dose children in hard-to-reach areas against diseases including hepatitis B, measles, mumps and rubella. Some 1,769 communications officers oversaw proactive risk communication and community engagement, and 1,755 mosques and 209 churches planned to share key messages with communities. WHO Syria; WHO EMRO
Pakistan launched a subnational anti-polio vaccination campaign on April 29, targeting more than 24.4 million children under 5 across 91 districts. The weeklong, door-to-door push included the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area (where more than 750,000 children were targeted), 30 districts of Balochistan (more than 2.2 million children targeted), 26 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (4,423,000 targeted), 10 districts of Punjab (more than 9.1 million targeted), and 24 districts of Sindh (more than 7.9 million targeted). In 13 high-risk districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, more than 32,000 police officers were deployed to protect more than 21,000 immunization teams; nonetheless, by the campaign’s second day, assailants had fatally shot an officer protecting vaccinators in the province’s Bajaur district. Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme (1); PPEP (2); PPEP (3); PPEP (4); Daily Times; Associated Press; Islamabad Today
Outbreak Response
Several states in Nigeria launched anti-polio campaigns in late April. Kaduna and Kwara states targeted 2.8 million and 1.5 million under-5 children, respectively, with a second-round vaccination push that began April 20. In Kaduna, the three-day effort took place both door to door and at 1,168 health facilities across the state’s 23 local government areas. Elsewhere, Kano aimed to reach about 4 million children by sending teams to every household across the state’s 44 local government areas and 484 political wards. Gombe aimed to reach 985,605 children across 11 LGAs. Jigawa targeted 1.5 million children in a campaign that officials said comprised more than 15,000 health workers across 3,000 teams. In Oyo state, the second-round campaign ran April 20-23. People’s Gazette (1); People’s Gazette (2); Daily Post; The Nation; Pensioners FM; Nigerian Tribune
South Sudan launched the second phase of an anti-polio immunization campaign on April 16. By April 21, the exercise had reached 1.8 million children (60% of the target) with nOPV2. Unity state’s Leer county targeted about 24,996 children. The first phase of the campaign began in February. WHO South Sudan; Radio Tamazuj
Integrated Campaigns
Afghanistan began a nationwide polio vaccination campaign on April 29. Spanning 31 of 34 provinces, the four-day push aimed to reach 10.7 million children under age 5. Children ages 6 months to 5 years also received vitamin A supplementation. The de facto health ministry “urged religious scholars and local elders to cooperate with vaccine providers,” according to DPA International. Vaccination was slightly delayed in three provinces—Bamyan, Daikundi and Ghor—due to adverse weather. Radio Free Europe; Khaama Press; Tolo News; Xinhua; DPA International
Mexico is conducting a nationwide MMR and hexavalent vaccination campaign April 1-May 31 across all 31 states and the capital region. Officials are targeting children ages 1-9 with first and second doses of MMR and adolescents ages 10-19 with the MR vaccine; they are urging those not up to date to also receive their hexavalent, pneumococcal, rotavirus and HPV shots as part of PAHO’s Vaccination Week in the Americas. Employing approximately 9 million vaccine doses, the push comes amid more than 850 suspected cases of measles or rubella year-to-date, as well as a confirmed imported measles case. Infobae; Government of Mexico (1); Government of Mexico (2)
The Philippines ran a measles-rubella vaccination, bOPV and vitamin A supplementation campaign April 1-12, targeting over 1.3 million children ages 6 months to 10 years in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Focused on the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte, the exercise included one dose of vitamin A supplementation for children 6-59 months, or two doses for any kids in that population with confirmed measles cases; it also included a synchronized bivalent OPV campaign. Elsewhere in the Philippines, the National Capital Region municipality of Malabon is conducting a bOPV campaign April 15-May 15, targeting 22,097 children ages 2-5 at health centers, malls, public spaces, and door to door. UNICEF; PhilStar (1); PhilStar (2); PIA
Sudan carried out its first polio campaign since April 2023. A response to cVDPV2 detected in wastewater samples (according to WHO), the exercise ran April 22-25 in Red Sea state, where it delivered nOPV2—integrated with vitamin A supplements—to over 200,000 children under age 5. Plans were underway for additional campaign operations in Blue Nile, Gedaref, Kassala, Northern, River Nile, Sennar and White Nile states. WHO; WHO Sudan; Twitter (1); Twitter (2); Twitter (3)
Colombia conducted a catch-up campaign for a range of vaccines April 20-27. Part of PAHO’s Vaccination Week in the Americas, the effort comprised more than 3,000 vaccination sites across every municipality, aiming to reach more than 187,000 people. In Bogotá, officials coordinated with more than 15 shopping centers to host vaccination points, offering incentives such as free movie tickets and parking vouchers. Infobae; Salud Total
Local Campaigns
Uganda ran the second phase of a nationwide yellow fever vaccination campaign April 2-8, aiming to reach more than 14,437,000 people (approximately 90% of the target population) ages 1-60. The push focused on 53 districts and cities across the Ankole, Karamoja, South Central, and Teso sub-regions, as well as Kampala, using both mobile and fixed sites. Monitor; UNIPH
Officials in Iraq are conducting a nationwide MMR campaign April 14-25, targeting over 7.5 million children ages 6-12. More than 30,000 health workers will be mobilized, with shots administered “in schools and kindergartens.” Iraqi News; UNICEF
Tanzania carried out a multi-age cohort HPV vaccination campaign April 22-26, targeting more than 5 million girls ages 9-14. Following the drive—which aligns with African Vaccination Week and World Immunization Week—officials will continue to offer the single-dose regimen to 9-year-old girls as part of routine coverage. Gavi; The Citizen
Ethiopian health officials in the Tigray region carried out an anti-polio SIA on April 23, aiming to reach over 1.5 million children under 5 with nOPV2. The six-day push deployed more than 15,000 vaccinators and 5,000 supervisors at fixed health centers and mobile sites and through door-to-door outreach. WHO Ethiopia; Capital; Twitter
Costa Rica will run a catch-up MMR campaign April 1-May 24, targeting 563,000 children between the ages of 15 months and 10 years. Aiming to achieve 95% coverage, officials from the Costa Rican Social Security Fund will conduct vaccinations at schools, shelters, health facilities, and public venues, as well as door to door. Authorities estimate that as many as 88,000 children had not previously received a full two-dose MMR regimen. Tico Times; PAHO
Sudan’s South Darfur state launched a routine immunization catch-up campaign on April 24 following significant delays due to ongoing civil conflict. The effort, targeting children ages 2 and under, focused on the localities of Kass, Nyala and Nyala North, offering 10 routine immunizations against diseases including measles, pertussis and diphtheria. The campaign will also distribute vitamin A supplements. Radio Dabanga
Sudan’s Sennar state launched a six-day measles-rubella campaign on April 22, targeting about 1,360,500 children in the southeastern region of the country. Radio Dabanga
Cuba conducted the first phase of a two-phase anti-polio campaign April 22-26, targeting children ages 1 month to under 3 years; a make-up week took place April 29-May 3 for those unable to be vaccinated initially due to illness. The campaign’s second phase will occur June 17-21, with a make-up week scheduled for June 24-28. CubaSí; Radio Havana Cuba