As scientists work to find a vaccine for the new coronavirus, we can do our part to keep our communities healthy by helping Rotary spread the word about the importance of vaccinations during World Immunization Week, 24-30 April.

Immunizations save millions of lives every year and are widely recognized as one of our most successful and cost-effective health interventions. Yet outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases continue to put children’s health at risk around the world. 

Rotary knows firsthand that #VaccinesWork. Since 1985, we’ve contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children from polio. When children receive the polio vaccine, their pinkie fingers are marked with purple ink so health workers will know which children received the vaccine. Today, only two countries continue to report cases of polio caused by the wild poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan. 
 
This year’s theme — #VaccinesWork For All — emphasizes the benefits of vaccines for individuals, their communities, and everyone around the world. It is also an opportunity to highlight how vaccines and the people who develop, deliver and receive them are champions working to protect the health of everyone, everywhere.