Every fall during Mobilize to Immunize, Shot@Life advocates from across the nation raise their voices to help increase vaccine access for children and people around the world around key moments like World Polio Day (Oct. 24) and World Pneumonia Day (Nov. 12).

This year looks a bit different to those prior with the ongoing government shutdown. Despite the shutdown, Congress will still be working towards finalizing the coming Fiscal Year’s budget priorities, so your support for investments in global immunization programs remains critical. In order to ensure your advocacy efforts have the most impact, please stay tuned for any updates. And as always, do not hesitate to reach out to champions@shotatlife.org with any questions.

If you are not yet a Shot@Life Champion but are interested in getting more involved in global vaccine advocacy this fall, you sign our petition here and sign up for an upcoming advocacy training here.

This page includes a toolkit highlighting a variety of ways you can get involved. Please report any advocacy actions you take by filling out this form: shotatlife.org/report

Take a few minutes to ask Congress to fund global immunization programs in the coming fiscal year. The easiest way to send an email to your elected officials is by signing our petition, which automatically sends emails to your members of Congress. The petition has a default message, but we encourage you to personalize it with your story/why you care about this issue.    

In a rapidly changing global health landscape, it is more important than ever before to protect the progress made through global immunization programs.

You can also easily mobilize your community by asking others to sign the petition—this could be as simple as posting the link on social media or putting a slide on a screen with a QR code during a meeting for a school/community group/professional organization that you’re involved with.

Meeting with your congressional offices is the highest-impact advocacy action that you can take all year. Whether you are a seasoned Shot@Life advocate, or this will be your first time setting up meetings, we are here to support you throughout the process — including scheduling, preparing for, and holding your meetings. We can also connect you with Shot@Life Champions in your state who are already scheduling meetings this fall.

Meetings can take some time to schedule, so please request them ASAP (if you don’t have a contact in your in-district office already, we can help you find the best method for contacting the office).  

If you’re planning to request meetings, you have questions on how to do so, or you would like to join meetings already set up by other Champions, please let us know by emailing champions@shotatlife.org.

Help spread the word about Mobilize to Immunize, World Polio Day, and World Pneumonia Day with your social networks—whether sharing your own content or amplifying our’s!

If you aren’t already, be sure to follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram at @shotatlife and Facebook at @shotatlifecampaign. 

Before you advocate, it’s important to be informed about global health and the congressional budget process. Read more about vaccine-preventable diseases below and check out other resources to make sure you’re up to date.