Vaccines

With the COVID vaccine, a new malaria vaccine, and a tuberculosis vaccine in development, we are seeing a renaissance in disease prevention. But we squander their lifesaving power if the vaccines never reach communities that need them most. The situation is especially urgent for the more than 10 million children worldwide who’ve never received a single dose of critical childhood vaccines. In 2022, 4.9 million children under the age of 5 died due mostly to preventable health problems like diarrhea, pneumonia, and measles.

But there is proven strategy available that has already saved the lives of over 17.3 million children. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is an international partnership that provides essential supports for locally-led vaccine programs worldwide.

World leaders are coming together to reinvest in Gavi this year. I urge Congress and the Biden Administration to help set the tone for the global community with a bold, multiyear funding pledge. Let’s make sure our medical innovations are actually put to work preventing the diseases they aim to end. William Deignan

Medford