Champion Spotlight: Aashna Patel
While earning a dual degree pursuing medical school and a master's degree in public health at Harvard University, Aashna Patel works to advocate for a global immunization program as a champion for Shot@Life.
Champion Spotlight: Bridget Murphy and Irene Stamper
Long time friends Irene Stamper and Bridget Murphy have advocated on behalf of Shot@Life for nearly 5 years. The dynamic advocacy duo discuss their relationship with each other and how they became involved with the campaign.
World Refugee Day: Partnering to Achieve Equity
On World Refugee Day, we detail some of the efforts underway to reach this vulnerable population which all too often lacks access to vaccines.
35 Years in the Making: Pioneering Malaria Vaccine is Poised for Widespread Deployment
The World Health Organization's recommendation of the first-ever malaria vaccine for use across sub-Saharan Africa has allowed Gavi to invest more than $150 million to distribute the vaccine.
Father’s Day Champion Spotlight: Dr. Michael Robinson
In honor of Father's Day, we would like to spotlight Dr. Michael Robinson and his story on how his personal experience as a father has shaped both his career and his vaccination advocacy.
Meet Our Team: Roberta
Roberta Plantak is the new Corporate Partnerships Officer for the Shot@Life campaign. Learn more about her in this Q&A.
My Visit to the UNICEF Global Supply and Logistics Hub in Copenhagen
Executive Director Martha Rebour reports from UNICEF's Global Supply and Logistics Hub, a key part of the global vaccine distribution chain.
Advocate to Vaccinate 2022 Recap
Shot@Life advocates conducted 91 meetings with Congressional offices, made 150 calls to their policymakers, submitted 25 op-eds to their local media outlets, and sent nearly 2,200 emails and 700 tweets to members of Congress about why #VaccinesWork and the urgent need to #EndPolio.
The gift every mother wants this Mother’s Day: A healthy child
This Mother’s Day, we honor the women we met in Zambia who advocated for their children's vaccinations, going great lengths to protect their children from measles and polio.
Mother’s Day Spotlight: Dana DeShon
Dana DeShon speaks to how her experience as a mother, nurse practitioner, and member of the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Association (NAPNAP) intersect with her advocacy at Shot@Life advocate this Mother’s Day.
Champion Spotlight: Alexa Swingle
Alexa Swingle's involvement as a Shot@Life Champion began during her freshman year of college. She is currently a practicing pharmacist, dedicating her time to advocate for global vaccine equity.
Strengthening the Global Health Workforce
During World Health Worker Week, we explore the partnerships working to strengthen the global health workforce, the backbone of immunization programs everywhere.
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Immunization is often disconnected from national health security strategy, but #DidYouKnow countries like Uganda and South Africa are leading the charge to change that?
Immunization infrastructure is a key part of pandemic preparedness and response and has three critical advantages:
🧑⚕️ Trusted community networks – essential for quickly communicating risk during outbreaks
🖇️ Cold chain infrastructure – a backbone of commodities distribution
📍 Tracking systems – immunization drives are data-driven, geo-tagged health data that can be used for outbreak warnings
Mainstreaming immunization into PPR is not just smart, it’s urgently necessary.
May 7
Outbreaks move fast; with vaccines, we can move faster.
With outbreaks of highly infectious diseases increasing worldwide, vaccine stockpiles are of vital importance. @gavialliance’s next strategic period will focus on stockpiling to advance rapid response efforts and protect another generation of children from disease.
Expanding these global vaccine stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningitis, and yellow fever will protect millions when every second counts.
Learn more at https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/vaccine-stockpiles-guide [link in story]
May 6
According to new research from Stanford University, the U.S. is facing millions of measles cases over the next 25 years if vaccination rates for the disease drop 10%.
And the trend is not exclusive to the U.S.: measles is making a dangerous comeback worldwide. In the past year, 138 countries have reported measles cases, with 61 reporting outbreaks. This is the highest number observed since 2019.
Misinformation and the global funding crisis is creating deadly roadblocks in our ability to vaccinate millions of children against deadly diseases. Vaccines work—but only if people have access.
May 5
New data shows that over 3 million children died from antimicrobial resistance (AMR)-related infections in 2022.
Drugs of last resort are increasingly being used to fight these resistant infections, highlighting the dire need for global coordination to control AMR in children.
Increased surveillance of AMR must adopt a ‘One Health’ approach to ensure that antibiotic use stays under control, ensuring that everyone, everywhere has a shot at life. #HealthForAll
May 2
COVID-19 caused the largest reduction in immunization coverage in a generation, with 23 million children missing out on routine vaccinations in 2020 alone. We are still trying to catch up from this backslide.
And now, the United Nations has warned that aid cuts have already set back childhood vaccination levels almost as much as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interruptions in immunization programs and supply chains across the world have led to unprecedented surges in infectious diseases.
With #WorldImmunizationWeek drawing to a close, now is the time for action. Visit shotatlife.org to get started.
May 1
We can be the generation to successfully eradicate the second disease in human history.
Enormous progress has been made against polio, a deadly and paralytic disease—but there is still work to be done.
Hear from polio survivor and advocate, @rameshferris, about how far we’ve come and what lies ahead for action against polio.
(Filmed Feb. 2025)
Apr 30
“To know that there will not be a culture of crawlers… because they hadn’t had equitable access to vaccines. That’s why I will remain committed to a polio-free world.”
A few decades ago, polio was paralyzing 1,000 children every day, but today, cases have fallen by 99.9%.
Stay tuned tomorrow to hear from @rameshferris, polio survivor and advocate, on the pressing need to fund polio vaccine programs and ensure that everyone, everywhere, has a shot at life.
Apr 29
Every fall, millions of Americans across the country flock to their local pharmacies for their flu vaccines.
But the process of developing these annual jabs is no easy feat—and @who, in partnership with American researchers and manufacturers, plays a major role.
Keep watching to hear Dr. Wilson of @weillcornell discuss how the WHO ensures that our flu vaccines are timely and safe every single year. #WorldImmunizationWeek
Apr 28
On #WorldMalariaDay last year, we celebrated the arrival of the R21 vaccine, the second ever WHO-approved vaccine against malaria.
These safe, effective vaccines took decades to develop and—when paired with existing interventions—have the potential to save millions of lives.
Now, it’s about ensuring that malaria vaccines reach those who need them most. A malaria-free world is in reach, but only if we fight for it.
Raise your voice for immunization at shotatlife.org
Apr 25
This #WorldImmunizationWeek, we are at a watershed moment in the history of global health.
Vaccines have saved over 154 million lives in the last 50 years. Decades of collaboration have culminated in the eradication of smallpox and near-eradication of polio.
But progress has stalled in recent years.
It’s time to stand up for global health. Together, we can prove that immunization for all is #HumanlyPossible.
Apr 24
This week, Shot@Life College Ambassadors @ameenamnd and @wxjiha hosted a phone bank with their fellow UAB students to tell their policymakers why funding global immunization is more important than ever.
Tomorrow is the chance for you to do the same. Join Shot@Life Champions from around the U.S. who will be calling Congress for #HealthForAll.
Visit shotatlife.org/callscript to get started.
Apr 23
Tomorrow kicks off #WorldImmunizationWeek, a reflection on the human progress made possible by vaccination and a push to keep the fight for #HealthForAll alive.
Consider joining Shot@Life Champions from around the U.S. who will be making their voice heard in support of global vaccine equity.
Tomorrow is Shot@Life`s call-in day, and we urge you to tell your policymakers why YOU care about global immunization programs. Visit shotatlife.org/callscript to get started.
Apr 23
Become a Shot@Life Champion
Are you ready to increase your commitment to fight for global vaccine equity? Sign up for an advocacy training and become a Shot@Life Champion!
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