World Immunization Week 2022 – 24 to 30 April

Ever since the first vaccine was developed for smallpox in 1796, the world has seen their unparalleled impact on health and wellbeing. People around the world have been getting vaccinated for centuries, leading to the eradication of smallpox and driving down wild polio cases to an all-time low.

Parents can worry less about their children suffering from devastating diseases that once plagued past generations because of vaccines. For the past two decades, more than 1.1 billion children were immunized, saving 4-5 million lives each year and helping to reduce child deaths by half.

Vaccines are one of the most impactful scientific innovations of all time, helping to protect generations of people against infectious diseases throughout the course of their lives. A culmination of over 200 years of research, worldwide collaboration and rigorous testing has led to the development of safe and effective vaccines for more than 25 diseases.

Vaccines for common diseases like measles, diarrheal diseases and pneumonia are allowing more children around the world to live longer and more fulfilling lives where they can go to school, play with friends and make memories with loved ones. Other vaccines, like those that protect against the flu or cervical cancer, keep people healthy so that they can go to work, travel and spend more time with the people they love.

After the last two years, we all are too familiar with the loss, fear and uncertainty that accompany disease outbreaks. Thanks to vaccines against diseases from COVID-19 to Ebola and cholera, we have the tools to keep our loved ones safe from health crises.

However, not everyone has the same access to these life-saving tools. About 23 million children missed out on basic vaccines in 2020 – the highest number since 2009. This is unfair, puts us all at risk and makes catch-up campaigns all the more urgent. Everyone deserves a chance to live a healthy, fulfilling life – no matter who they are or where they live.

We are closer to a world where future generations are protected from disease outbreaks and epidemics. Investments in transformative technology and innovation allow scientists to develop new vaccines more quickly and improve old ones, so that communities can remain open, people can keep their jobs and children can keep learning and laughing with friends.

Vaccines can help create a world where people are safe from preventable diseases. When everyone has access to the vaccines they need, people can have peace of mind knowing they are better protected from disease and do more of the things that bring them joy.

Vaccines give everyone the opportunity to reach their full potential and pursue a life well lived. Ultimately, vaccines provide hope for all of us to enjoy a healthy, more fulfilling life—and that’s something we should all be fighting for.