Immunization is one of the most cost-effective means to address global health threats. Vaccines have nearly eliminated diseases such as polio, a devastating illness that killed half-a-million people a year during the 20th century. The number of deaths from tetanus, mumps and malaria have also been drastically reduced.
Within the last 15 years, vaccine programs have saved approximately six million lives. And, even better, vaccines are relatively inexpensive – it only costs $23 to vaccinate a child against seven major diseases.
The bottom line is: Vaccines save lives. How much do you know about them?
The Global Citizen Festival will take place on September 27th at 3 p.m. ET. The festival will air live on MSNBC and msnbc.com. It’s a free concert for a great cause – thousands of global citizens will join together to convince world leaders to end extreme poverty by the year 2030. Find out how to become a Global Citizen here.