 The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs this week joins its counterparts in the observance of the 21st Vaccination Week of the Americas from April 22 to the 29th. The week-long global observance was launched here on Monday, April 22. National Immunization Manager, Ms. Tekla Javatist, said the slogan, get up to date, hashtag, etcher vaccine counts is a call for collective action to protect people from vaccine-preventable diseases. Javatist added that everyone everywhere can benefit from vaccination for good health and well-being. This observance coincides with the World Health Organization's 12th anniversary of World Immunization Week, emphasizing the protection that vaccines provide to individuals and their loved ones, and stressing the importance for a long and healthy life. The goal is to create awareness about the vaccines that people of all ages need to receive, and in doing so, increase vaccine acceptance and uptake, which has been declining among children worldwide and more heavily in the Americas over the last decade. According to the World Health Organization, every year globally, millions of lives are saved through vaccines. However, the number of children who are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated is close to 20 million. Country-programmed specialists for the Pan-American Health Organization, PAHO, Mr. Ronald Dewitt, said the importance of vaccination cannot be overemphasized. Our region of the Americas was declared measles-free in 2016, but unfortunately, the region now faces new measles outbreaks. St. Lucia is familiar with the vaccines received in childhood for polio, measles, mums, rubella, tetanus, dipteria, whooping cough, hep B, pneumococcal diseases, tuberculosis, and chickenpox. More recently, the COVID-19 vaccine has been added to the vaccine schedule for adults, health workers, and our elderly citizens. I urge you all, St. Lucia and residents, let us continue our tradition of vaccinating and protecting our children and our citizens. Get out, get vaccinated, each vaccine counts. Health Minister Hon. Moses Jabatist has given a thumbs up to the staff of the ministry for the many initiatives and programs being undertaken and has reassured the government's commitment to continue to invest in strengthening the island's healthcare system towards achieving universal health coverage. You may have heard many things about universal health coverage over the last few months, and I can guarantee you, you have only just started hearing about universal health coverage. In the budget, you will hear of the allocations for universal health, for certain aspects of universal health coverage, and I'm excited about what is to come. One of the critical components of the UHC is access to vaccines, which will play a significant role in fostering a strong and resilient primary healthcare system. Therefore, it is critical to use vaccines as a means of preventing many life-threatening diseases. The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs will be embarking on a major vaccination drive in several communities around the island. On Friday, April 28th, a health team will be at the grounds of the Grosally Catholic Church from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Similar activities will be held in other locations in the weeks ahead. From the Communication Unit of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, Julia Peter reporting.