Partnering for health during Vaccination Week in the Americas in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 28 April 2026 (PAHO) - In observance of Vaccination Week in the Americas 2026, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environmental Health and Energy, Ministry of Education, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), with the financial support of the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI), conducted a two-day capacity-building workshop for early childhood educators and preschool teachers, aimed at strengthening knowledge and skills related to child health and immunization.

The two-day event, held 27-28 April 2026, brought together more approximately 95 participants and focused on key topics critical to early childhood development and disease prevention.

Sessions included common childhood illnesses, facilitated by pediatricians from the Ministry of Health; the national vaccination schedule, the importance of vaccination across the life course and communicating about vaccines, facilitated by Dr. Solange Kobi-Jackson, Advisor, Family and Life Course for Primary Health Care, PAHO/WHO Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries; infection prevention and control, led by nurses from the Ministry of Health; and effective communication with parents, facilitated by Dr. Lisa McClean-Trotman, Social and Behaviour Change Specialist, UNICEF Office for the Eastern Caribbean Area.

Dr. Solange Kobi-Jackson, Advisor, Family and Life Course for Primary Health Care, PAHO/WHO Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries Dr. Lisa McClean-Trotman, Social and Behaviour Change Specialist, UNICEF Office for the Eastern Caribbean Area

Participants actively engaged in discussions throughout the workshops, with sessions characterized by robust interaction and numerous questions directed to facilitators. One of the highlights of the training was a role-play exercise, during which participants worked in groups to demonstrate effective communication techniques with parents and caregivers. This practical activity allowed participants to reinforce key concepts shared during the sessions and apply newly acquired skills in realistic scenarios.

Dr. Amalia Del Riego, PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries informed, "the workshops underscored the importance of collaboration across sectors to promote immunization, protect children from preventable diseases, and strengthen trust with families and communities. Vaccination Week in the Americas continues to serve as an important platform for reinforcing collective action to protect health across the life course, starting in early childhood."

She also recognized GAVI's support to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines amid the introduction of two new vaccines the pneumococcal vaccine and the rotavirus vaccine, facilitated the capacity building workshop of early childhood educators and preschool teachers, reinforcing the efforts of the Ministry of Health in strengthening the Expanded Programme on Immunization.

Nurses from the Ministry of Health conduction an infection prevention and control session Cross-section of workshop participants

Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA)

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