World Immunization Week 2016: Close the immunization gap - Watch!

Zee Media Bureau/Salome Phelamei

New Delhi: Immunization plays a vital role in keeping you and your family healthy. It helps protect you from getting an infectious disease.

Immunization, also known as vaccination, is a process in which a person is given vaccine to make him/her immune or resistant to an infectious disease.

Vaccines save lives. But the fact is that many people aren't getting all the vaccines they need to help them stay healthy throughout life.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 25 diseases that can be prevented by vaccines including diphtheria, measles, pertussis, pneumonia, polio, rotavirus diarrhoea, rubella and tetanus. While enormous progress has been made, but one out of five children worldwide still miss out on vital immunization. And so, each year 1.5 million children die from preventable diseases.

Video credit: World Health Organization/YouTube

And millions of adults are not protected from killer diseases like Hepatitis C.

World Immunization Week, which is observed every year during the last week of April (April 24-30), focuses on the importance of immunization. This year’s theme is “Close the Immunization Gap”.

Make sure you and your family are up-to-date on your vaccinations. It's time to close the gap!