UNICEF Kenya representative Patrizia DiGiovanni gives polio vaccine to a child in Eastleigh, Nairobi, in 2018. [File, Standard]
The World Health Organisation has warned against changing childhood vaccination schedules without strong scientific evidence, after the United States announced significant changes to its immunisation policy.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organisation was concerned that the changes announced by the US government were not aligned with established evidence on childhood vaccination.
“Decades of evidence have shown when children are most vulnerable to disease, when vaccines provide the strongest protection, how many doses are needed, and which vaccines can safely be given together,” Tedros said.
He said vaccine evidence is continuously reviewed as new data emerge globally, but maintained that the evidence supporting routine childhood immunisation remains clear.
“Vaccines, including the MMR vaccine, are safe and do not cause autism,” he said.
Tedros also cautioned against delaying vaccinations or separating doses without a scientific basis, saying such approaches could leave children without adequate protection against preventable diseases.