The vaccination rate for children in Yucatán has dropped significantly, with experts urging parents to protect their children from preventable diseases.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccinations prevent at least 175,000 deaths among children in Latin America each year.
In Yucatán, only 86.6% of children under one year old have completed their vaccination schedule; 82.2% by age two; 80.5% by age four; and 79.5% by age six. This leaves the child population at risk of contracting diseases such as polio, whooping cough, and diphtheria, which were once considered almost eradicated.
Dr. Gregory López, medical manager for Vaccines at Sanofi Mexico, said that the recent outbreaks of previously eradicated diseases in other countries, such as polio in the United States, whooping cough in the Czech Republic, and four imported cases of measles in Mexico this year, have increased concerns about a possible resurgence of these diseases.
“It is essential to reinforce childhood vaccination cards,” he stressed. “We urge parents and guardians to take their children to health centers with their vaccination records to ensure they are up-to-date on all necessary vaccinations.”
Mexico has a free Universal Vaccination Program aimed at maintaining 90% coverage rates for infant vaccination schedules. This would reduce the risk of disease resurgence and create herd immunity, protecting patients who cannot receive certain vaccines due to medical conditions.
The National Vaccination Card, which covers children from birth to nine years old, includes eight vaccinations that protect against 14 diseases, including whooping cough, tetanus, polio, diphtheria, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type B, and others.
As a specialist with 15 years of experience in pharmaceutical medicine, Dr. López emphasized the importance of ensuring that children have complete vaccination schedules.
“We must take responsibility for protecting our children and preventing the resurgence of diseases like polio, whooping cough, and diphtheria,” he warned. “If we fail to reach the 90% vaccination rate goal, these diseases could make a comeback in just days or months, with devastating consequences for the children who contract them.”
