Two million boys and girls in Latin America and the Caribbean did not receive one or more doses of the DPT (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccine in 2022. The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) has warned that they are at risk of a deadly disease.

On May 2, a vaccination campaign against polio, measles and rubella began in Ecuador. The preventive program lasts until the end of the month. The Ministry of Public Health (MPH) vaccinates children from 1 to 12 years of age.

The Ecuadorian government responsibly decided to extend the campaign, which was scheduled to end on July 9, but by that date the locally desired goal had not been reached.

Although vaccination is the responsibility of the state, which is obliged to distribute doses throughout the country, parents have an important role in completing the program to protect their children.

In a statement published by the EFE agency, Unicef ​​assures that in 2022, the coverage of the third dose of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis among children under one year of age has increased to 79% compared to 75% the previous year. A total of 800,000 have had at least one dose of the vaccine, while nearly 1.2 million have not received one.

In this year 2023, he is trying to change that reality. In Ecuador, there are only a few days left until the end of the program, which is implemented with the support of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNICEF. Children do not make decisions on their own, therefore the cooperation of health professionals, education and parents is essential in protecting the lives of minors.

Prevention is the greatest success of modern life. This is what health experts say, and citizens and governments must understand this. In the case of Ecuador, about 8.2 million dollars were invested in this campaign. (OR)