# Vaccination Week in the Americas: An Ongoing Initiative to Strengthen and Sustain Measles and Rubella Elimination in the Region

## TL;DR

Vaccination Week in the Americas has helped eliminate measles and rubella by boosting vaccination rates and political support across the region.

## Contribution

The paper documents the long-term impact of Vaccination Week in the Americas on disease elimination efforts.

## Key findings

- VWA has reached over 1.15 billion people across 40 countries over 22 years.
- VWA contributes to closing immunity gaps and reaching underserved populations.
- VWA promotes political commitment and public awareness for vaccination.

## Abstract

Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA) is a yearly regional initiative that promotes the benefits of vaccination to all persons in the region. In its 22-year history, more than 1.15 billion people have been reached under the framework of VWA across more than 40 countries and territories. This review examines multiple PAHO and WHO data points, documents and reports related to measles/rubella vaccination coverage and VWA since its inception. Its goal is to document the impact that the VWA has had in maintaining and accelerating measles and rubella disease elimination, in the context of PAHO’s Disease Elimination Initiative. The results suggest that VWA’s contributions to measles and rubella elimination have been substantial. Every year, VWA promotes (a) renewed political commitment to the immunization program from the highest political authorities of Member States; (b) vaccination operations to close immunity gaps, recover under-vaccinated persons, and reach chronically underserved populations; and (c) the dissemination of messages on the benefits of vaccination through regional and national communications campaigns. VWA will continue to be an important contributor to disease elimination efforts in the Americas, even as new targets are set in response to the evolving epidemiological landscape.