Vaccines: a key tool to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global public health challenge, causing 5 million deaths annually, with 1 million among children under five. The Vaccine Alliance urges Member States, the international health community, civil society, private sector, and academia to recognize the importance of vaccines in preventing AMR and incorporate them into a comprehensive package of interventions. Public policy recommendations include integrating immunisation into national AMR action plans, aligning action plans with immunisation strategies, strengthening surveillance systems, scaling up international funding for routine immunization, and including vaccines in the high-level meeting on AMR. The international health community should increase awareness of the linkages between immunisation and AMR, invest in research and development, and promote the inclusion of immunisation in the high-level meeting.