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World Immunisation Week 2026 | 24–30 April 2026

This year’s World Immunisation Week carries a theme that resonates deeply with me:

For every generation, vaccines work

It is a reminder that immunisation is not a single moment in history — it is a continuous, intergenerational commitment. From the infant receiving their first childhood vaccinations, to the care home resident protected against seasonal influenza, to the older adult shielded from shingles and pneumococcal disease, vaccines are one of the most enduring gifts we can offer one another across the span of a lifetime.

For me, that commitment has been lived out over more than a decade of pharmacy and vaccination leadership across Kent and Medway. I am proud to mark World Immunisation Week 2026 by sharing some of that work, and to reflect on what it truly takes to build vaccine confidence that serves every generation in our communities.

From System Leadership to Community Action

My involvement with vaccination in Kent and Medway spans over a long period. As Senior Responsible Officer for the COVID-19 vaccination programme, I was privileged to lead one of the most ambitious public health undertakings in recent memory, overseeing the delivery of 5.4 million vaccines across a population of 1.9 million, achieving uptake over 90%.

That experience taught me a great deal about what effective vaccination delivery requires: strategic coordination, yes, but above all, community trust.

Trust is not built through logistics alone. It is built through education, through honest conversation, and through meeting people — and the professionals who serve them — where they are.