The Lao People’s Democratic Republic conducts a successful multi-antigen vaccination campaign

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic conducted a successful multi-antigen vaccination campaign in eight northern provinces during 4-15 March. The campaign aimed to prevent further diphtheria transmission after a recent outbreak, to ensure that polio immunity levels are maintained, and to bring Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccination to Lao children for the first time. Recent surveillance data provide clear evidence that the northern provinces are endemic for JE.

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After a very successful Immunization Week 2012, the Region gets ready to observe World Immunization Week 2013 from Australia to Korea and from China to American Samoa, countries and areas in the region will observe this important week with a range of activities from launching ceremonies to vaccination of health care workers, from on-line interviews to text message reminders and many other activities to highlight the importance of immunization, acknowledge the hard work of vaccinators and celebrate the achievements of immunization programs in the region

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MANILA, 20 March 2013 – Independent, competent and functional regulatory systems to oversee the supply of assured-quality vaccines are now made possible with the launch of the Regional Alliance for National Regulatory Authorities for Vaccines in the Western Pacific Region. The regional alliance gives Member States a tool to help them achieve not only local, national and regional vaccination goals, but also the Millennium Development Goals having to do with reducing childhood mortality and improving maternal and child health.

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To protect health care workers from the consequences of occupational exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV), the world’s second most potent carcinogen, the National Department of Health of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and partners including WHO and AusAID launched a health care worker vaccination programme on 19 February 2013.

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