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The Caribbean Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (CITAG) wishes to alert Caribbean Ministers of Health and Chief Medical Officers that routine childhood vaccination coverage in Caribbean countries has fallen significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. In some countries as many as three out of 10 infants are not fully vaccinated putting them at risk of measles, polio and other diseases eliminated in the Americas that continue to circulate in other areas of the world.

It is essential that countries conduct routine vaccination campaigns targeted at children under five years of age to ensure that they are fully vaccinated. Countries are urged to involve their paediatricians and private doctors in this campaign and were necessary to employ retired nurses and other health providers to support the health team.

At the same time, it is important to maintain vaccine-preventable disease vigilance given the increased risk of visitors to the Caribbean re-introducing polio, measles, rubella or other childhood communicable diseases to our countries. We need to improve our surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis and rash and fever surveillance.

Caribbean News Now