According to Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, national days of vaccination against polio will be held in Tashkent, Jizzakh, Syrdarya, Samarkand, Namangan, Ferghana, Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya, which border with neighboring states.

Uzbekistan imported 4.26 million doses of vaccines in line with all rules of “cold chain”, the Uzbek ministry said. It is planned to hold several seminars in regions, which will be dedicated to polio.

Over 5,200 vaccination brigades were organized across Uzbekistan and some 6,300 doctors and 16,000 nurses are participating at the campaign.

Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan said that the World Health Organization guarantees safety of vaccines with its certificate. It added that each child will get four drops of vaccine.

Parents should bring their children up to the age of 5 to vaccination points as it is important that all children get vaccines against polio. Children, who got vaccines, will protect both themselves and children around them.

Deputy Minister of Health and Senior State Sanitary Doctor Saydmurad Saydaliev said that there were polio cases in neighboring states.

He said that in adverse situation in Tajikistan, Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan carries out preventing measures to avoid import and spread of polio in Uzbekistan.

“Immunization is a foundation for a better future. It helps entire societies: an immunized child is healthier and performs better in school, earns higher income as an adult, and raises healthier children as a parent,” says Jean-Michel Delmotte, UNICEF Representative.

“Since independence, Uzbekistan has achieved a lot in the area of management of vaccine preventable diseases. The coverage of children with vaccination against polio, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, and tetanus has increased nearly two-fold, reaching 99 % in 2009-2011. However, more needs to be done to ensure that the country’s immunization programme is sustainable and every child is reached out with life-saving vaccinations and other essential interventions”, he added.

“World Immunization Week, with its call to “Protect your world, get vaccinated” is an opportunity to raise awareness of the health benefits of vaccination”, says Dr Asmus Hammerich, WHO Representative. “Uzbekistan is the active participant of the regional event – the European Immunization Week – for the seventh year in row. The country successfully used this opportunity to identify and immunize missed children, to conduct supplementary immunization activities to protect those at risk, and to increase overall vaccination uptake”

Both UNICEF and WHO support Uzbekistan to strengthen and support sustainability of national immunization programme, including purchase of vaccines.

According to the Ministry of Health, Uzbekistan hosted eight stages of National Days of Immunization in 2010-2012.