Why Vaccines Matter
It's a Matter Of Life and Death.
Beyond safe water, no intervention has been more impactful in reducing overall mortality than immunizations. Vaccines not only protect individuals and communities but also fragile healthcare systems. They are one of the greatest intergenerational investments that we can make in the health of a community.
2,500,000
lives are saved each year by vaccines.
18,000,000
people are able to walk today, who otherwise would have been paralyzed if it wasn't for the polio vaccine.
23,000,000
lives were saved by the measles vaccine over the past 18 years.
19,400,000
children go without immunization each year.
What We Know
Despite significant efforts to increase access to routine childhood vaccines, millions of children remain unprotected, putting them at risk for many life-threatening diseases.
Each Year
Over 90% of these children live in areas of the world where routine health care or supportive medical services are limited. Additional factors such as malnutrition and unclean water place these children at higher risk for contracting and fighting diseases.
The Value of Vaccines
The ability to prevent illness and save lives through vaccination is well documented, but the value does not stop there.
Maintaining good health is a gateway to greater opportunity.
Education Attainment
Many vaccine-preventable diseases can cause temporary or permanent cognitive impairment. Children may also suffer blindness, hearing loss, and decreased mobility as a result of illness, making educational milestones more challenging.
Maintaining cognition and decreasing the number of days that children miss in school leads to better educational outcomes and improved opportunities as adults.
Gender EquIty
Gender inequity in immunization coverage contributes to increased mortality for girls under the age of five. Studies demonstrate that girls are more likely to die from measles than boys.
Maintaining health through routine childhood vaccination is associated with higher educational outcomes and earnings for women, leading to greater equity.
Financial Stability
Vaccines protect children’s health, but did you know that they also protect their family’s finances?
For every $1 invested in vaccine programs, vaccination returns $21 in saved healthcare costs, lost wages, and lost productivity, saving families from catastrophic economic loss.