Imagine living in the world at a time when children were often not named until their 5th birthdays because parents were uncertain whether they would survive early childhood due to diseases like polio, measles, rubella, pneumonia and more. In 1921 alone, diphtheria killed nearly 15,000 people in the U.S. and measles infected nearly every citizen, killing hundreds. Decades later in 1964, an epidemic of rubella (German measles) infected 12.5 million people in the U.S., killing 2,000 babies, causing 11,000 miscarriages and deafness among scores of children.
With the development of safe and effective vaccines, children and teens can now be protected from 16 dangerous infectious diseases, and adults can be protected from flu, shingles, pneumonia and many other diseases.
Vaccines also protect those who can’t be vaccinated, and they help us keep our communities healthy. Learn more about the benefits of vaccines, and read how they save both lives & money by preventing deadly diseases.
Vaccines are as one of the greatest public health interventions, second only to clean water. By vaccinating people of all ages, we have the power to save lives. However, there are many families in the U.S. – and throughout the world – that are still personally affected by vaccine-preventable diseases. Read their stories.