Lao health system continues to offer immunization services despite COVID-19 pandemic

Despite the arrival of COVID-19 in Lao PDR last month, the health system here is continuing to provide essential health services – and in particular immunization. This message was endorsed by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization to mark the start of World Immunization Week (WIW).

Dr Panome Sayamoungkhoun, Acting Director of Mother and Child Health Center, the Ministry of Health, stated “Every infant and every child in Lao PDR has the right to a healthy start to life that vaccines bring. Even though COVID-19 has arrived in our country, diseases such as measles, pertussis, diptheria and many other vaccine preventable diseases have not gone away. These disease can still damage or even kill our children unless we vaccinate them.”