World Immunization Week, celebrated in the last week of April, aims to promote the life-saving power of immunization to protect people of all ages against vaccine-preventable diseases.

Vaccines have long been one of the most powerful tools in public health. Over the last 50 years, vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives not by accident, but because ordinary people made the decision to protect themselves, their children and one another. That’s 6 lives every minute, every day, for five decades.

Health workers rolling up sleeves, parents bringing their children to health clinics, communities showing up, and generations deciding that preventing infectious diseases, such as measles, diphtheria, pertussis and polio, is worth it.

Those choices to vaccinate have contributed to a 40% improvement in infant survival during that time and protected tens of millions of children from lifelong disabilities. More children now live to see their first birthday – and grow up, fall in love, have families, and grow old &ndash than at any other point in human history.

This year’s World Immunization Week theme, “For every generation, vaccines work”, aims to promote how vaccines have safely protected people, families, and communities for generations – and continue to safeguard our future.

Access the campaign site here.