(Gloucester Township, NJ) – Saturday, April 24, marked the beginning of World Immunization Week, a global event celebrated during the last week of April to promote the use of vaccines in people of all ages against disease. This year, World Immunization Week comes amidst an extraordinary push to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine and end the pandemic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is using the theme “Vaccines bring us closer” to urge greater engagement around immunization globally and to promote the importance of vaccination in bringing people together, both in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
“The pandemic has completely reoriented the perception of vaccines for so many people. The effects and necessity of widespread immunization have never been clearer,” said County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. “Vaccines are what allow us to congregate and come together by protecting us from preventable diseases which would otherwise spread through communities and wreak untold havoc. Whether it is the COVID-19 vaccine, or one of the other myriad vaccines which are recommended to children and adults, follow the advice of your doctor and get protected.”
Over the last 30 years, child deaths have decreased by over 50 percent thanks in large part to vaccines, according to the WHO. Common vaccines now protect against more than 20 dangerous diseases from pneumonia to cervical cancer.
To date, more than 230,000 Camden County residents have received at least the first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, and nearly 171,000 are fully vaccinated. The Camden County Health Department and its partners, Cooper University Health Care and Jefferson Health – New Jersey, have successfully administered nearly 100,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at the Camden County Vaccination Center located at Camden County College in Blackwood.
More information regarding the County vaccination site, including how to make an appointment, hours of operation, and more, can be found at camdencountyvaccine.com, or by calling (856) 549-0530.
For more information regarding World Immunization Week, visit the WHO’s website here.