From 12–18 May 2025, the Kyrgyz Republic is observing European Immunization Week as part of a global initiative by WHO to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination in protecting populations from infectious diseases. For 20 years, Kyrgyzstan has supported WHO’s initiative in marking this week, and this year’s campaign is held under the slogan “Immunization for all is humanly possible”.
This year’s European Immunization Week in Kyrgyzstan is being marked on 13 May by the launch of a large-scale catch-up vaccination campaign. Catch-up immunization offers a critical opportunity to protect children who, for various reasons, missed scheduled vaccinations. It is not only about addressing missed doses, but also about strengthening herd immunity and preventing outbreaks of serious diseases, such as measles, rubella, whooping cough, polio and diphtheria.
The main goal of these activities is to safeguard children’s health through timely vaccination and increase immunization coverage, thereby preventing the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Throughout the week, health workers across the country will identify children who have missed one or more vaccine doses, enhance field outreach and intensify communication with parents and guardians.
According to the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic and data from Form 5 of the Republican Center for Immunoprophylaxis, more than 90 000 children did not complete the full diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT-3) vaccination course between 2020 and 2024, as recommended by the Kyrgyz Republic’s national immunization schedule.
By the end of 2024, 22 060 children remained unvaccinated by the DPT-3 vaccine. This includes 9476 refusals among children under 1 year of age. In total, 19 760 vaccination refusals were recorded in 2024. The main reasons included:
- concerns about vaccine safety – 8180 cases (41.4%)
- religious beliefs – 8950 cases (45.3%)
- lack of information about immunization benefits – 832 cases (4.2%)
- other reasons – 1798 cases (9.1%).
The most commonly missed vaccines include those against measles, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis and polio – all of which pose a serious risk of outbreaks that can be prevented through timely immunization.
“In public health, we are confident that vaccines work – they effectively protect both children and adults from many dangerous infections, preserving health and quality of life. Every parent should feel assured that immunization protects their child from diseases for which safe and effective vaccines are available. Catch-up immunization gives us a second chance to protect those who missed out – but timely vaccination remains the best defense. We urge all parents not to miss this opportunity to protect their children and contribute to the nation’s health,” said Bubuzhan Arykbaeva, Deputy Minister of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic.
“Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect the health of both children and adults. The World Health Organization supports Kyrgyzstan at every step – from strategic planning to implementation of the big catch-up campaign. This effort helps the country close immunization gaps and reminds us all: Timely vaccinations save lives and strengthen community health,” emphasized Amanda Shriwise, Acting Head of the WHO Country Office in Kyrgyzstan.
“UNICEF supports efforts to reduce vaccine hesitancy by engaging a wide range of community leaders, including 1000 imams. We work closely with communities and religious leaders to eliminate barriers to immunization. As immunization rates decline in Kyrgyzstan, we must act urgently to ensure the protection of every child. The big catch-up campaign is a vital step in preventing disease outbreaks and saving lives,” said Samman Jung Thapa, Head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Kyrgyzstan.
As part of the campaign, activities will be held in all regions of the country, including mobile vaccination outreach to hard-to-reach communities. Information sessions, work with parent groups, media coverage and the involvement of local opinion leaders and civil society are also planned.
We urge all parents to contact their nearest health facility for information and vaccination. Only through joint efforts can we ensure the health and well-being of every child in Kyrgyzstan.