Today, as part of an annual region-wide initiative, MSD in the UAE announced its support of EMRO Vaccination Week; launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean and partners. As part of their support for this week and highlighting their ongoing dedication to raising awareness to improving the quality and longevity of the lives of UAE citizens, MSD in partnership with the Ministry of Health hosted a media event to highlight the importance of vaccinations and the need for greater vaccination coverage. EMRO Vaccination Week celebrates and promotes immunization for people of all ages through advocacy, education and communication activities.

EMRO Vaccination Week was launched with the goal to protect all people at risk against vaccine-preventable diseases. This year EMRO Vaccination Week will take place from 24th- 30th April. As part of MSD in Jordan's commitment to raising awareness and increasing vaccination coverage of Jordanian citizens, MSD will be focusing on raising awareness of rotavirus which is estimated to cause around 111 million cases of gastroenteritis, globally, every year[1] (http://#_ftn1). Whilst regional estimates vary, in Jordan it is estimated that as many as 25 out of every 100,000 children under the age of five, may die each year as a result of rotavirus.[2] (http://#_ftn2)

Highlighting the crucial importance of vaccination awareness, Mr. Omar Rifi, Managing director, MSD Levant, said "EMRO Vaccination Week is an extremely important initiative, which MSD Jordan is committed to supporting. Each year an estimated 2.5 million lives are saved through vaccinations[3] (http://#_ftn3), the opportunity that vaccinations provide, in saving and improving the quality of people's lives insurmountable. MSD has more than a century of commitment to vaccine development, and has played an important part in the reduction of vaccine-preventable diseases to date. This is something we want to continue to do. At MSD we realize the importance of focusing on disease areas that affect the local communities in which we work most, which is why this year we have decided to address rotavirus, which if vaccinated against could save hundreds of lives in the Jordan.”

Talking about the risks of rotavirus, Dr. Mohammed Abdallat said "Rotavirus is the most common form of diarrheal virus amongst infants around the world, and one of the number one causes of hospitalization amongst children under the age of five in the Middle East.[4] (http://#_ftn4) Due to lack of awareness and vaccination against this disease it estimated that almost 40% of children under the age of 3 who suffer from rotavirus in Jordan are admitted to hospital each year with gastroenteritis.[5] (http://#_ftn5) Jordanian children with rotavirus who are admitted to hospital spend an average of 4.7 days in hospital with each hospitalization costing the Jordanian healthcare system around 750 USD.[6] (http://#_ftn6) Rotavirus is creating an increasing burden on Jordanian society, around 110,000 children suffer from diarrheal cases each year, of these around 34% require emergency department visits and an additional 5% require hospitalization.[7] (http://#_ftn7) By simply raising awareness of the importance of vaccinating children against this virus we can significantly reduce the prevalence of this illness and ensure protection."

Vaccines have had a profound impact on public health and have helped to prevent more than 30 common infectious diseases, in addition to averting long-term disability[8] (http://#_ftn8) each year millions of lives area saved thanks to growing awareness of the need to vaccinate. Research has shown that by simply raising awareness the prevalence of serious diseases can be significantly reduced.

[1] (http://#_ftnref1) Parashar UD, Hummelman EG, Bresee JS, et al. Global illness and deaths caused by rotavirus disease in children. Emerg Infect Dis. 2003; 9:565-572 (p. 565, paragraph 1, column 1).

[2] (http://#_ftnref2) Adapted from Khoury H et al. BMC Infect Dis. 2010, Submitted

[3] (http://#_ftnref3) World Health Organisation. Facts on immunzation. Available at: http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/immunization/facts/en/index.html Accessed March 1, 2012

[4] (http://#_ftnref4) Matson DO. Rotaviruses. In: Long SS, Pickering LK and Prober CG, eds. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. New York: Churchill Livingstone, 2003:1105–8. ib. NFID Whitepaper: ROTAVIRUS Multipe Serotypes and the Argument for Rotavirus Vaccination; http://www.nfid.org/pdf/rotavirus_paper.pdf (page 4)

[5] (http://#_ftnref5) Pr. Basma hosp.1993

[6] (http://#_ftnref6) Jordan Rotavirus Surveillance Study as per Dr. Bassam Hijjawi (Ministry of Health Jordan)

[7] (http://#_ftnref7) Jordan Ministry of Health, Annual Report of Diarrhea Cases in Jordan, 2010

[8] (http://#_ftnref8) World Health Organisation, UNICEF, World Bank. State of the world’s vaccines and immunization. 3rd edition. Geneva 2009.