8 Times Vaccines Made Pop Culture Cameos in 2021
2021 was a big year for vaccines as they made their presence in both politics and pop culture. Here are a few prominent times that vaccines were featured in popular entertainment.
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Merriam-Webster's 2021 word of the year is "vaccine," and we couldn’t agree more.
Shot@Life and United to Beat Malaria laud Gavi’s historic decision to invest in the first-ever malaria vaccine program
Shot@Life and United to Beat Malaria stand together to support the Board of Gavi's decision to invest $155.7 million in the first-ever malaria vaccine program.
Handle with Care: World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week 2021
This week marks the starts of Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week, a time to reflect on the impact of one of the top 10 global public health threats.
Mobilize to Immunize 2021 Recap
This fall, Shot@Life advocates across 50 states came together to mobilize their communities and raise awareness towards the importance of advocating for increased funding for global immunization programs.
The Impact of Climate Change on Global Health Event Recap
Shot@Life, UNA-USA, and United to Beat Malaria supporters listened in on discussions on the negative impact of climate change on global health during COP26 in Scotland.
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Dr. La Vonne Downey has been a Shot@Life Champion since 2015. She is the Director of Health Sciences Administration and a Professor of Health Sciences at Roosevelt University.
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Have a look at some of the ways you can get involved with our campaign to become a Shot@Life Champion!
World Polio Day: Advocating to Protect Progress Against Polio
The past three decades have been filled with tremendous progress and hope for polio eradication, in addition to enormous setbacks.
Why Shot@Life Advocates Love Get a Shot. Give a Shot.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues this fall and winter, flu shots are especially important to help prevent the spread of seasonal influenza, and avoid a “twindemic” of both diseases spreading at the same time.
Our Commitment to Immunize Children Worldwide: Walgreens & Shot@Life
Walgreens & Shot@Life partner for the ninth year of the 'Get a Shot. Give a Shot.' program.
Climate Change and Global Health Security (SDG Blog Series)
Shot@Life’s mission advocating for a global vaccination program works to achieve one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for a better and more sustainable future.
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Feeling overwhelmed by the news lately? So are we.
But it’s not all bad—from novel malaria medicine developed to protect babies to the decline in reported bird flu cases, we quietly celebrate the small wins amid the turbulence.
Here’s a drop of good news to get your week started. ☀️☕
And we want to hear from you—feel free to share any and all happy health news in the comments for us to feature in the coming weeks!
Jul 14
It is near-impossible to maintain a 99.9% reduction in cases. But when it comes to polio, the world has seen a miracle.
Whether by boat, bike, or foot, volunteer health workers mobilize every day to bring an end to this deadly disease.
Don’t let U.S. funding cuts jeopardize this progress. WE can be the generation to beat polio—but not if we turn our backs.
Jul 11
Since its inception over 25 years ago, @gavialliance has protected an entire generation—that’s 1 billion children—against infectious diseases.
The historic partnership between Gavi and the United States is crucial to ensuring that vaccines are available to those who need them most, and to protecting future generations from disease.
Raise your voice: protect funding for Gavi. #linkinbio
Jul 10
Malaria still claims about 600,000 lives every year—over 75% of which are children under the age of five.
But malaria is entirely preventable and treatable.
With the rainy season underway in many endemic regions and support from the U.S. at stake, lives hang in the balance.
Tell Congress to protect global health funding. Oppose rescissions. #linkinbio
Jul 9
Good news alert! 🌱💡
Despite the uncertainty, @gavialliance’s 2025 high-level pledging summit was a moment of hope. Alongside strong leadership from historic donors, the summit saw a record number of new donors step up to support Gavi’s work, including former and current Gavi-supported countries.
From Indonesia, which underwent a two-decade journey from receiving Gavi support to funding the effort it once received, to the Gates Foundation, which emphasized their support for Gavi in an age of polycrisis, the record-breaking pledges served as a “moment of resolve and a reminder of the work ahead.”
A healthier world for all is a collective effort—and the collective is stepping up to the plate for another five years of giving everyone, everywhere a shot at life.
Jul 7
The Americas have now seen 8x the number of yellow fever cases this year compared to last.
What’s behind the surge of this vaccine-preventable disease? Spillover from animals.
While Yellow Fever itself is not a zoonotic disease, cases are now largely originating from an animal host. Unvaccinated humans can be infected by mosquitos that pick up the virus from infected primates. And the impacts are far-reaching; PAHO has denoted the public health risk of yellow fever as high.
Even though a single dose of the vaccine provides lifelong protection, rates have dropped below the recommended 95% coverage in 10 of 12 countries with circulating Yellow Fever, leaving their populations at risk. Limited global vaccine supply is further complicating the effort.
Jul 3
The U.S. has historically been a strong supporter of @gavialliance on a bipartisan basis, helping the Alliance save more than 18 million lives since 2000.
But last week’s newfound uncertainty around the continuation of this support may put millions of lives at stake.
Take action today: tell Congress that supporting Gavi is key to a safe, healthy world for all. #linkinbio
Jul 2
From extreme winter cold spells impacting food security in Mongolia to dramatically increased rainfall triggering disease outbreaks in the Caribbean, the climate is forcibly recalibrating our approach to health.
And, on the flip side, health is becoming an entry point for conversations around climate change.
Initiatives like the ongoing collaboration between the World Health Organization and World Meteorological Organization (WHO-WMO) aim to “turn climate intelligence into health intelligence,” touching everything from disease transmission to vaccine mobilization.
Jul 1
Over 18 million lives have already been saved—but millions of children remain unprotected.
The question of another global disease outbreak is “when,” not “if.” Pandemic preparedness and response is more vital than ever before. @gavialliance’s health system strengthening and stockpiles of emergency vaccines are critical to these preparation efforts.
The high-level funding summit for Gavi’s next strategic period has now come to a close. Despite many record-breaking pledges, U.S. funding remains shrouded in uncertainty.
Tell Congress to fund Gavi at the link in our bio.
Jun 27
Yesterday, the Administration announced its decision to end funding for @gavialliance, which provides lifesaving immunizations for children around the world.
The U.S. has historically been a strong supporter of Gavi on a bipartisan basis. Without this critical support, up to 75 million children could miss out on basic vaccines over the next 5 years.
Tell Congress using the link in bio.
Jun 26
Today’s the day! World leaders are currently meeting in Belgium to fund Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance’s next five years, with a plan to save at least 8 million lives from 2026-2030.
Gavi’s new investment opportunity places an emphasis on strengthening health systems and increasing equitable immunization to reduce the number of ‘zero-dose’ children in the world by 50% by 2030.
To learn more about Gavi’s next 5 years and the increasing need for multilateral cooperation in global health, check out our latest blog (link in bio).
Jun 25
Tomorrow, world leaders will gather to invest in immunization efforts and help shape the future of global health at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance’s high-level pledging summit.
Gavi seeks to raise at least $9 billion to fund an ambitious strategy of protecting 500 million children from the threat of disease.
Gavi’s unique sustainable financing model centers on co-financing; countries gradually increase their financial contribution to vaccine programs over time, eventually leading to full self-financing. 19 countries to date have “graduated” out of Gavi support since the start of the organization.
Stay tuned for more on Gavi 6.0 among the ongoing conversations #ForOurFuture.
Jun 24
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