Historical perspectives on new vaccine introduction in Latin America and the Caribbean

Few social programs rival what the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) has been able to accomplish for child health [1]. In the Americas, vaccines have transformed the regional disease landscape. The Americas was the first region to eliminate smallpox and the region has been free of wild poliovirus for over 20 years, measles for over 11 years and rubella for over 3 years [2-4]. Today immunization remains a key regional priority for achieving health for all and increasingly countries are expanding their national immunization programs to protect against more disease pathogens [4]. The countries in the Americas continue to be trail blazers in the global efforts to eliminate and eradicate vaccine-preventable diseases.