National Vaccination Week 2026 Launches Across Mexico with Focus on Measles, RSV and Utopía Health Initiatives

Mexico’s National Vaccination Week 2026 officially began on April 25, aiming to administer approximately 1.7 million free vaccine doses across the country to strengthen immunization coverage and recover incomplete vaccination schedules. The campaign, branded under the slogan “Vaccunar es amar” (Vaccinating is loving), runs through May 2 and aligns with the 24th Vaccination Week in the Americas and World Immunization Week 2026.

The initiative targets infants, children, adolescents, pregnant women, older adults and high-risk populations, offering more than 10 different biologicals at no cost. Vaccines include those from the national immunization schedule such as BCG and hepatitis B for newborns; pentavalent, pneumococcal conjugate, and rotavirus vaccines for children under one year; and seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccines for children under five, at-risk groups, healthcare workers, and adults over 60.

Administration occurs through fixed health units, semi-fixed posts in high-traffic areas, and mobile brigades reaching rural and hard-to-access communities. State-level health authorities, including those in Jalisco, have echoed the federal call to participate, urging residents to take advantage of the opportunity to update vaccination records.

The campaign addresses the erosion of routine immunization coverage, a consequence of healthcare system strain during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Historical data shows that even brief declines in vaccination coverage below 95% can precipitate outbreaks; Mexico’s 2023 DTP3 coverage was reported at 82% by PAHO, creating significant susceptibility pockets for measles, polio, and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP).

According to the WHO and UNICEF’s 2023 joint report on immunization coverage, global DTP3 vaccination dropped to 84% in 2022, leaving 20 million children unprotected. Mexico’s effort focuses on operational delivery rather than clinical trial phases, adhering to WHO-recommended immunization schedules without introducing novel investigational agents.

The vaccination drive forms part of Mexico’s Universal Vaccination Program strategy to prevent, control, and eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases, with special emphasis on measles, rubella, and mumps through the triple viral vaccine, alongside boosters for DTP and human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization.

Verified announcements from the Secretaría de Salud confirm the campaign’s goal of administering approximately 1.7 million doses to reinforce herd immunity against measles, polio, and DTP, pathogens with basic reproduction numbers (R0) ranging from 5-7 for measles to 12-18 in susceptible populations.

The initiative leverages established cold-chain logistics and trained healthcare workers, reflecting a coordinated national effort to bolster population immunity against preventable diseases and close immunity gaps exacerbated by pandemic-era disruptions to routine immunization schedules.