This week marks World Immunisation Week, an important reminder of the vital role vaccines plays in protecting our health and preventing the spread of serious diseases. This awareness week is built around sharing a powerful message “For every generation, vaccines work.”
Over the past 50 years, vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives , not by accident, but because ordinary people made the decision to protect themselves, their children and their communities from diseases like measles, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, and rotavirus.
Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to safeguard individuals, families, and communities. From childhood immunisations to adult boosters, vaccines help prevent illness, reduce pressure on health services, and protect those who are most vulnerable.
We know that access and confidence can sometimes be barriers, which is why community led approaches are so important.
This year we are proud to have awarded 8 voluntary organisations and community groups funding through our MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella) grant programme. These organisations have and will be working directly with local communities raising awareness, building trust, and helping people make informed decisions about vaccination.
Their work highlights the power of local, trusted voices in improving health outcomes and ensuring that accurate information reaches those who need it most.
Below we are sharing the upcoming events our 8 chosen organisations will be running in relation to MMRV vaccinations.
1. Other Ways to Care are one of the organisations receiving our MMRV Grant Fund.
They are going to design and organise a series of engagement sessions focused on the MMRV vaccination whilst specifically targeting young Roma families residing in the Wandsworth Borough. They have set up a core team in order to design these activities based on their community’s concerns, needs, experiences and insights. They are also thinking hard about how to reach those community members (young Romani mothers) who may be less likely to attend, whether that’s due to domestic caring duties, or because of the sensitivity of the topic. The team will facilitate these conversations in a comfortable community setting using the prompts/resources provided by WCA to open the discussion, keeping it light touch without giving any specific medical advice or directing the discussion. Insights will be captured for an activity report which will be shared at a later date.
2. Sanctuary for Sisterhoods is another organisation running a creative activity where local community members can attend and enjoy a session of arts and crafts and discuss vaccinations in safe and welcoming space. Please visit our events webpage to see the flyer more details.
3. Katherine Low Settlement is another charity which will be running a information session on the 2nd and 30th of June. See our events page for all the details on their flyer.
4. Children Hope Forever is also running a MMRV vaccination drop in session where you can come along to get more information, speak to a member of staff and find out more about vaccinations. See our events page for dates on their flyer.
As we mark World Immunisation Week, we encourage everyone to check their vaccination status and speak to a trusted healthcare professional if they have any questions. Together, we can continue to build healthier, more resilient communities.
Keep a look out on our events webpage where you can find local upcoming events and events in relation to vaccination support.