Dr. Salman Hamad Al-Zayani, Advisor to the President of Arabian Gulf University and Associate Professor of Public Health, emphasized that “World Immunization Week,” which is held annually during the last week of April, represents a crucial health milestone for raising community awareness and preventing diseases that continue to pose an ongoing challenge to public health at both the local and global levels, emphasizing that this event comes at a highly sensitive time amid the health transformations the world is witnessing.

He noted that World Immunization Week renews efforts to raise health awareness about one of the most important tools the human mind has devised to protect its survival, namely vaccines. He noted that this week, which each year carries a theme reflecting the challenges of the current phase, sees the concerted efforts of international health organizations, led by the World Health Organization, to highlight the need to address the immunization gaps left by recent health crises.

He noted that this week is part of the Gulf region’s ongoing efforts to curb the spread of infectious diseases, emphasizing that vaccines have proven over the decades to be highly effective in saving millions of lives and reducing infection and mortality rates. He added that, according to recent health data, they help prevent diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, and influenza, and have also contributed to the near-complete eradication of polio in most countries worldwide, a disease that once threatened millions of children with permanent disability, in addition to reducing mortality rates from measles by more than 80% over the past two decades.

He said: “Investing in immunization programs protects individuals and the entire community by achieving what is known as herd immunity,” noting that vaccination remains the first line of defense and a true shield for humanity against recurring pandemics. He noted that the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Arabian Gulf University is committed to actively participating in this occasion by organizing awareness-raising events, which typically include educational campaigns targeting various segments of Gulf society, alongside scientific lectures, training workshops, and annual vaccination campaigns for university staff, such as seasonal flu vaccinations, emphasizing the importance of the role played by medical professionals in promoting health culture and correcting misconceptions associated with vaccines.

Dr. Al-Zayani noted that recent technological advancements offer promising prospects in the field of prevention, highlighting progress in vaccine technology. He emphasized that vaccination is no longer merely an individual medical procedure but has become a collective responsibility and a social obligation to protect the most vulnerable groups, urging individuals to adhere to the established vaccination schedules for children and adults and to obtain information from reliable medical sources, while also recommending intensified awareness efforts through the media and social media to raise public awareness.

He emphasized that prevention remains the safest and most effective option in combating infectious diseases, and that cooperation among health, educational, and media institutions is the best way to build a healthy and safe society, emphasizing that World Immunization Week serves as a firm reminder that prevention is better than cure, and that the cost of a single vaccine dose is incomparable to the human and economic burdens that infectious diseases impose on societies.