Champion Spotlight: Ilina Ewen
Ilina Ewen is a longtime Shot@Life advocate who calls herself an “OG Champion.” She wears many hats — advocate, writer, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, mom, and Shot@Life Champion.
Happy Birthday, FDR – A Celebration and Reminder
On the 141st anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's birth, UN Foundation's Peter Yeo reflects on his life as a polio survivor and his legacy as a leader in that fight.
New Year’s Resolution: Vaccine Advocacy
In this guest blog, nurse and Shot@Life Champion Tricia Souza writes about her New Year's resolution: advocating for vaccine access.
Polio Vaccines Protect Children and Families from Hardship
A Shot@Life means every child and every family the best possible opportunity to thrive, without the pain of diseases like polio.
Champion Spotlight: Mariam Bahova
Growing up in the Republic of Guinea and now working in global health, Shot@Life Champion Mariam Bahova has a unique perspective on what access to vaccines means to individuals, communities, and the world.
Mobilize to Immunize 2022 Recap
Shot@Life advocates mobilized policymakers to invest in world immunization programs through the six week advocacy period Mobilize to Immunize this past fall.
Happy Thanksgiving from Shot@Life
The Shot@Life team reflects on what they're thankful for with the Thanksgiving holidays quickly approaching.
Shot@Life Celebrates 10 Years of Get a Shot. Give a Shot.
We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Walgreens and celebrate a landmark tenth consecutive year of the Get a Shot. Give a Shot. ® program to immunize children around the world.
Measles Outbreaks: Your Questions Answered
Measles cases are on the rise around the globe, with the World Health Organization reporting 26 large or disruptive outbreaks of the highly contagious virus this year alone. Here are answers to some questions about measles outbreaks and what is being done to stop them.
What We Are Reading: October Edition
Check out a few of the Shot@Life team’s favorite recent reads about immunizations efforts and global health that we thought you might enjoy, too.
Advice from Experienced Vaccine Equity Advocates
We reached out to some of our champions and asked them what advice they would share with other advocates to make the most of these advocacy periods, Mobilize to Immunize in the fall and Advocate to Vaccinate in the spring.
5 Ways Shot@Life Advocates Fundraise to Help Provide Lifesaving Vaccines
See how our champions are campaigning for increased access to immunization through individual fundraising events.
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Pneumonia is the world’s biggest infectious killer of children.
Thanks to vaccines, under-five pneumonia deaths have nearly halved since 2009—that’s 1.2 million lives saved.
But progress is fragile, especially in the face of funding cuts and shifts to the global health landscape. This #WorldPneumoniaDay, tell Congress to support global immunization programs at shotatlife.org/petition
Nov 12
It’s that time again.
Applications are now OPEN for Shot@Life and @unitedtobeatmalaria’s joint Global Health Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C.!
Join us in February to learn from global health experts, develop your advocacy skills, and meet with policymakers on Capitol Hill. Act fast—applications close this week.
🔗 shotatlife.org/summit
Nov 10
In Ethiopia, health care workers are working to make sure all children have access to lifesaving immunizations, nutrition assistance, and more.
At Danse, on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, Habtamu and his team regularly traverse muddy, mountainous roads that can become almost impassable in the rainy season to reach the more than 6,000 residents with primary health care.
Ethiopia is taking the lead in protecting its most vulnerable from preventable diseases. With our help, they can ensure every child is reached.
Nov 6
In 2025, cholera is spreading across 32 countries, causing thousands of deaths—even though the world has had the tools to fight this disease for more than a century.
As stated in a recent article by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, cholera thrives where poverty, conflict, and inequality persist—not because science has failed, but because political will has.
A cholera vaccine exists, but demand far outpaces supply. Zambia has taken action, building a cholera vaccine plant in Lusaka—a step toward regional vaccine self-sufficiency in Africa.
Cholera can be stopped—but only if we commit. Read more at the link in our story.
Nov 5
Vaccines keep surprising us.
A new study from @uflorida reveals something extraordinary: cancer patients who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine within 100 days of starting immunotherapy lived dramatically longer than those who didn’t.
Researchers found that the vaccine’s immune-activating power may act like a “flare,” reawakening the immune system and supercharging its cancer-fighting response.
In advanced lung and skin cancers, survival nearly doubled for vaccinated patients—a result experts are calling revolutionary.
This discovery doesn’t just highlight the power of mRNA technology—it hints at the future: a universal, off-the-shelf cancer vaccine capable of enhancing immunotherapy.
Nov 4
Malaria now poses a greater threat than HIV or TB—funding shortfalls could lead to nearly 1M additional deaths by 2030.
3 out of 4 malaria victims are children. And the threat to their health is accelerating due to drug resistance, climate change, weakened health systems, and more. We have the tools—vaccines, bed nets, and more—but funding is needed to use them.
As @globalfund prepares for its replenishment, the message is clear: “If we fail to act, malaria could steal Africa’s children—and $83 billion of our future.”
Oct 31
@WHO recently launched version 2.0 of the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system—a hub for detecting and responding to potential threats, used by more than 110 Member States.
Recent health emergencies, like mpox and bird flu outbreaks, have demonstrated the importance of early detection to prevent global crises.
With version 2.0 of EIOS, public health experts around the world have new and improved tools to identify any health threats.
Better data. Better decisions. #HealthForAll
Oct 30
The countdown to the official end of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has begun.
Despite the area’s fragile health systems, officials responded fast with the help of @WHO coordination. Over 35,000 close contacts and secondary contacts have been vaccinated since the outbreak was declared last month—a testament to the power of maximizing limited vaccine supplies for effective outbreak response.
Oct 27
Over 20 million children have been spared paralysis thanks to the polio vaccine.
This powerful tool has eliminated wild poliovirus
✅ From the United States in 1979
✅ From the Americas in 1994
✅ From Africa in 2020
But now, with cases down 99% worldwide, polio threatens to reemerge.
This is not the time to turn our backs on global health. With continued commitment and collaboration, we can be the generation to #endpolio for good.
#WorldPolioDay
Oct 24
Tomorrow is #UNDay AND #WorldPolioDay.
Thanks to coordinated efforts led by the UN and its agencies, global polio cases have fallen by more than 99%—from an estimated 350,000 children paralyzed each year in 1988 to just dozens today.
This achievement underscores the power of global solidarity. But the fight to #endpolio isn’t over yet.
Stay tuned tomorrow to learn more about the fight against this deadly disease.
Oct 23
This week marks #WorldPolioDay and our call-in day!
Even though things look different this year, it’s more important than ever that sure congressional offices hear from you, their constituents, about the importance of eradicating polio once and for all. Advocate for robust global immunization funding with other Shot@Life Champions TOMORROW, October 23. 📞
For step-by-step instructions and talking points, visit shotatlife.org/callscript
Oct 22
We’re not ready for the next pandemic. And drug resistance is making it worse.
At last week’s World Health Summit, @WHO launched a report that shows a shocking rise in antibiotic-resistant infections; 1 in 6 globally, and up to 1 in 3 in parts of South-East Asia and the Middle East.
The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board is calling for a real-time pandemic risk monitoring system that goes beyond health—tracking economic, environmental, and social vulnerabilities too.
Pandemic prevention isn’t just about stockpiling vaccines. It’s about building resilient, transparent systems across sectors and across borders.
It’s simple: prevention now or pay later. 🦠
Oct 20
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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