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Vaccines and immunization: What is vaccination?
Vaccines protect us throughout life and at different ages, from birth to childhood, as teenagers and into old age. In most countries you will be given a vaccination card that tells you what vaccines you or your child have had and when the next vaccines or booster doses are due. It is important to make sure that all these vaccines are up to date.
Vaccines and immunization - World Health Organization (WHO)
Vaccination is a simple, safe, and effective way of protecting people against harmful diseases, before they come into contact with them. It uses your body’s natural defences to build resistance to specific infections and makes your immune system stronger.
How do vaccines work? - World Health Organization (WHO)
How vaccines help fight disease Vaccines contain weakened or inactive parts of a particular organism (antigen) that triggers an immune response within the body. Other vaccines contain weakened or reconstituted virus or bacteria as a whole. Newer vaccines contain the blueprint for producing antigens (DNA or RNA) rather than the antigen itself.
A Brief History of Vaccination
For centuries, humans have looked for ways to protect each other against deadly diseases. From experiments and taking chances to a global vaccine roll-out in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, immunization has a long history.
Statement on the antigen composition of COVID-19 vaccines
The TAG-CO-VAC reconvened on 6-7 May 2025 to review the genetic and antigenic evolution of SARS-CoV-2; immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or COVID-19 vaccination; the performance of currently approved vaccines against circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants; and the implications for COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition.
Mpox: Vaccines - World Health Organization (WHO)
Mpox vaccines can be given before or after exposure to the virus. After exposure: to reduce the risk of developing symptoms or severe disease. If you are in a group at risk for whom vaccination is recommended in your country, or were recently in close contact with someone who has mpox symptoms, contact your healthcare provider immediately for ...
COVID-19 vaccines - World Health Organization (WHO)
The COVAX No-Fault Compensation Program for Advance Market Commitment (AMC) Eligible Economies is the world’s first and only international vaccine injury compensation mechanism. The Program helps COVAX deliver safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines to the high-risk and vulnerable populations in 92 low- and middle-income countries and economies.
Global vaccine market report 2024 - World Health Organization (WHO)
The insights from this report provide valuable market intelligence to governments, industry, global public health agencies, and other key decision-makers. It helps identify challenges and opportunities to accelerate equitable access to vaccines worldwide, aligning with the Call to Action issued in the 2022 GVMR, which remains highly relevant today.
Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals
The Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals department is responsible for targeting vaccine-preventable diseases, guiding immunization research and establishing immunization policy.
Better use of vaccines could reduce antibiotic use by 2.5 billion doses ...
A new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) finds that vaccines against 24 pathogens could reduce the number of antibiotics needed by 22% or 2.5 billion defined daily doses globally every year, supporting worldwide efforts to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
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