ASTANA – Kazakhstan has launched European Immunization Week (EIW), taking place from April 27 to May 3 under the theme: Immunization for All is Humanly Possible, the Kazakh Health Ministry reported.
Photo credit: ecdc.europa.eu
The campaign aims to remind people that vaccination saves lives. Thanks to widespread immunization, polio has not been registered in Kazakhstan since 1996, and diphtheria since 2009. Cases of mumps have decreased by over 100 times, hepatitis A by 32 times, hepatitis B by 92 times, and rubella by more than 2,000 times.
Kazakhstan’s national immunization program now protects against 21 infections.
However, recently there has been an epidemiological problem: 75% of measles cases and 87% of whooping cough cases are occurring among children who missed routine vaccinations.
HPV vaccination for girls aged 11-13 was added to the national vaccination calendar in 2024. So far, 133,169 girls have received one dose, and 21,194 have completed two doses.
EIW is celebrated every year across the WHO European Region to promote the importance of achieving high and equitable vaccination coverage in every community, preventing outbreaks and protecting future generations.
