By Carissa Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO
Ten months after the first vaccine for COVID-19 was authorized for use by the WHO, most people in the Americas remain at risk.
We must face the daunting reality that the overreliance on imported health products – including lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines – has left this region vulnerable. We cannot wait for the next health emergency to act, as ending this dependency will require long-term planning, investment and, above all, collaboration.
Despite the pervasive inequality within and across countries, our region has achieved high coverage of routine childhood vaccines, which have saved lives and secured a chance of a better future for several generations. The Americas was the first region in the world to eliminate rubella, to eradicate smallpox and to be declared polio-free.
