But twelve countries and territories in the Americas 🌎 have already reached WHO’s 70% vaccination coverage target.
In many countries – particularly our Caribbean islands and territories – vaccine coverage among the elderly and at-risk groups like health workers 🧑🏾⚕️👩🏾⚕️ remains low.
And finally, we should talk about COVID vaccines 🩹 for children.
Before considering vaccinating healthy children, countries should ensure that coverage among groups at highest risk of COVID-19 disease and death is high.
Countries must see routine immunizations for what they are ➡️ essential.
These services were critical before the pandemic, and they remain central to our COVID response, so that our children 👧🏿👦🏻🧒🏽 don’t fall further at risk.
@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19
We also urge parents and caretakers to get their children caught up on routine immunizations 🩹 by bringing them in for their medical check-ups 🩺
But this rests on having these services open and available.
@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19
By promoting mask wearing 😷 and social distancing and ensuring adequate ventilation, countries can safely reopen schools.
High vaccination rates among children are not a prerequisite for school reopening.
So as countries in the Southern Hemisphere welcome 🧒🏾, teachers, & staff back to the classroom & as countries in the Northern Hemisphere enter the flu season, we remind 🌎 that PAHO has published detailed guidelines to facilitate the safe return to in-person learning @DirOPSPAHO
For some children, schools 🏫 are safe havens to learn, to socialize, to receive mental health support and to get a nutritious meal.
Ministries of health, education and social protection must work together to bring as many of our children as possible back to school safely, because virtual learning 🧑🏽💻does not and cannot replace in-person schooling.
@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19
🔸 The first and most important thing countries can try to do for kids is to get them safely back to school to protect their social, mental, and physical wellbeing.
