As an agency of the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) wields the weapon of diplomacy, but it has, by no means, given up the battle for vaccines after the United States’ decision to drop six of 17 common childhood vaccines.

For PAHO, which serves the Latin American and Caribbean region, vaccines have long occupied pride of place among its mighty arsenal. In recent times, however, the body has suffered two terrible blows.

Under new US health policy, PAHO has been shaken by significant funding cuts, and just this month a reduced childhood vaccine schedule heralded by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), piloted by Mr Robert Kennedy Jr, America’s equivalent of Jamaica’s health minister.

The new policy, said to be aimed at rebuilding public trust, reduces the number of shots which have now either been cut to a single dose for most children, or narrowed to children deemed at high risk for infection. Notably, vaccines for influenza (flu), COVID-19, and rotavirus are no longer broadly recommended, and parents must consult with a health-care provider to decide if they are necessary.

HHS has stated that all vaccines previously on the schedule will still be covered by major insurance providers but the Government would not be covering any of the cost.

PAHO has decided, however, that it will not roll over and die in face of the moves by the HHS, the principal federal agency for protecting the health of Americans and under which agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fall.

The UN agency said this month that it has directed its focus towards mitigating the impact of US health policy shifts by employing decisive moves of its own, including the release of new technical guides — designed specifically for journalists and educators — to counter “anti-science narratives” and vaccine misinformation.

“These tools emphasise building trust through evidence-based coverage and strengthening digital health literacy in schools,” PAHO said in a statement, adding that the dropping of the six vaccines “makes the US an ‘outlier’ compared to other nations. The organisation said it would continue to advocate for a comprehensive schedule that includes protection against diseases like pertussis and measles.

In respect of the funding cuts, it says it would pivot towards “regional pooled procurement” via its Revolving Fund, a mechanism, it said, was now more critical than ever to “ensure that Latin American and Caribbean countries can still access vaccines at affordable prices without relying solely on US financial support”.

While Jamaica follows PAHO guidelines, the Health Ministry has largely kept out of the fray, saying it would “manage the impact of shifting US federal guidelines”, while maintaining national public health standards.

Jamaican health officials have emphasised that, while they work with international partners, their immunisation policies are “evidence-based and tailored to the local population’s needs”.

For example, Jamaica is conducting a national vaccination coverage survey to modernise its immunisation data and has moved to secure vaccination records against natural disasters, like the recent Hurricane Melissa.

It’s a brave new world out there.