Ja, Grenada recognised for vaccine coverage
Published:Saturday | November 9, 2024 | 12:07 AM
At the 38th Caribbean Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) Managers’ meeting held in St Kitts and Nevis from October 28-30, Jamaica received the Henry C. Smith Award for most improved immunisation coverage in 2023. Grenada won the inaugural Beryl Irons Award for meeting its surveillance targets in 2024 and boosting immunisation coverage in 2023.
Surveillance awards were also presented, with Barbados, St Kitts and Nevis, and Belize taking first, second, and third place, respectively.
Jamaica’s EPI manager, Dr Julia Rowe-Porter, expressed pride in the team’s resilience and focus on achieving a 95-per-cent vaccination target, despite the ongoing challenges of vaccine hesitancy.
Grenada’s EPI manager, Hannah St Paul, credited the award to the dedication of Grenada’s immunisation team and support from the Ministry of Health.
The meeting, themed, ‘Stronger Together: Advancing Immunisation, Eliminating Disease’, included a communications workshop and discussions on the post-pandemic recovery of immunisation programmes.
PAHO advisor Dr Karen Broome highlighted progress in community engagement and risk communication, emphasising the importance of public trust in vaccination efforts.
PAHO Assistant Director Dr Rhonda Sealy noted increased polio vaccination rates, with coverage rising from 90 per cent in 2021 to 94 per cent in 2023.
Chair of the Caribbean Technical Advisory Group on Immunization, Professor Peter Figueroa, recommended prioritising digital health, HPV vaccination, and adult immunisation infrastructure to strengthen immunisation programmes in the region.