Vaccines work!

“We understand the concerns of getting vaccines, the concerns are always driven by fear” Hanan says as she begins to prepare a Polio vaccine to be administered.

A Nurse in Azraq Refugee Camp for the past 6 years and a career spanning 14 years, Hanan is all too aware of how misinformation around the efficacy of vaccinations can spread. “Luckily its very rare to find vaccine hesitancy here, but it does exist.”

When faced with a parent in the camp who has concerns about vaccines, Hanan takes the time to put them at ease. She is proud that she has successfully convinced each parent that who expresses concern that vaccines are extremely important for the health and wellbeing of their child.

“We have volunteers in the community who make me aware if a mother is not willing to let her child be vaccinated,” says Hanan. “So, I arrange for the mother to visit me in the clinic. We sit down together and I address each of the family’s concerns, highlighting what would happen if their child didn’t receive the vaccines.”

“After this talk, the mother always agrees that routine immunization is in the best interests of their child.”

- Nurse Hanan

“I don’t regret having my child vaccinated, it’s here to protect them,” says Ritha, 25, a mother of two as she comforts her 3-month-old, who is dressed warmly in a pink hoodie to protect her from the winter winds outside. Ritha left Aleppo, Syria to escape conflict and her main safety concern now is for her children’s health.

“Both of my children were born here, and I wouldn’t leave them unvaccinated,” explains Ritha.  “They are here to protect us from diseases.”

For Ritha, the vaccines play an important role in securing the long-term future of her children.

“I want them to grow up healthy and be able to go to school,” she explains.

“I never finished school. So, my wish is for my children to have the best opportunities in life, to complete their education and have a better future.” - Ritha

Around the world, vaccinations protect 2 to 3 million children each year from deadly diseases. Thanks to concerted efforts from the Government of Jordan, with support from agencies like UNICEF, the health of every child in Jordan has been steadily improving over the last ten years. In particular, child and maternal mortality rates have decreased with an impressive increase in vaccination rates to 95 per cent coverage improving outcomes for new mothers and their children. With the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to routine health services, there is no space for complacency.

There are still children and mothers who are unable to access vaccinations. Refugees and those from poor socioeconomic backgrounds – often most in need of vaccines – continue to be the least likely to get them. UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Health in Jordan to make sure that no child is left behind, when it comes to vaccinating children and newborns against polio, measles, and other communicative diseases.

“Vaccines work! My only wish is for every child to be vaccinated,” says Hanan at the end of a busy morning of vaccinations in Azraq.

Thanks to the generosity of the European Union Madad Trust Fund, US Department Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and the Government of France, vulnerable children in Jordan are receiving the best start to life through access to routine immunization.