Everyone has the right to be vaccinated!

Kosovo celebrates European Immunisation Week 2024

The National Institute of Public Health of Kosovo (NIPHK) joined other institutions of the World Health Organization European Region in celebrating the European Immunisation Week (EIW), marked across Europe every year in the final week of April. The European Immunization Week is celebrated to raise awareness on the importance of immunisation in preventing diseases and protecting human life. This year, EIW was special because it also marked 50 years of implementation of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), launching a campaign celebrating EPI’s extraordinary achievements over the past five decades in protecting many generations from various serious diseases that are preventable with vaccination. This week also highlighted the urgent need to achieve high-level and equitable vaccination coverage in each community to stop the spread of such diseases, now and in the future. 

In Kosovo, the NIPHK, in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) Office and with the support of the European Union Office, hosted numerous activities aimed at raising awareness among the general population and parents, in particular about the right of each child to be vaccinated, and to achieve over 95% coverage, a common goal of the NIPHK and Kosovo citizens that will enable sustainable protection of the population. 

Recognizing the important role of health professionals and especially family physicians in raising awareness and encouraging citizens to get vaccinated, the Ministry of Health of Kosovo, in cooperation with the NIPHK and WHO, hosted a meeting with family physicians during this week. Dr. Fetije Fetaj, Head of the Kosovo Immunisation Program, opened this meeting by highlighting the role of family physicians in promoting vaccination, while Dr. Edita Goranci Haxhiu, an epidemiologist from the WHO, presented global vaccination successes and ongoing efforts to eradicate Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPDs). 

This year, special attention was awarded to the role of young people in creating a healthier future through vaccination. To this end, meetings with students of the Faculty of Medicine (General Medicine Department) of the University of Prishtina and UBT dentistry students were hosted.

To support primary care, as part of the activities carried out during the immunisation week, visits to vaccination centres throughout Kosovo were organised. The meetings with vaccination teams focused on EPI challenges, achievements and future steps towards proper implementation of changes in the vaccination calendar. NIPHK and WHO representatives attended the visit, expressing high praise for the exceptional commitment and professionalism witnessed over the years. During these activities, educational materials were also distributed.

The NIPHK and WHO, during this year’s immunisation week activities, recommended prioritising the right to be vaccinated so that no child remains unvaccinated, enabling them to live happy and healthy lives.