Summary: Part of the Series: Securing a Healthier Future with Vaccines Presented by the Global Health Council and Research!America Thursday March 31, 2011 12:30 - 2 pm The proof is undeniable: Vaccines save the lives of millions every year. Polio, which can cause lifelong paralysis and even death, can be prevented with an oral vaccine that costs only 50 cents to deliver per dose. Prior to the development and distribution of the first vaccine, polio paralyzed at least 1,000 children every day and annual polio epidemics occurred throughout the world, including in the United States. As a result of international efforts to immunize every child, 5 million people are now walking who would otherwise be paralyzed. Introduction of the polio vaccine has saved the U.S. alone an estimated $180 billion in treatment costs for the disease. Today, the world stands at the threshold of being polio-free, but a global funding shortfall for immunization activities threatens to derail the effort. As part of our vaccine-focused series of briefings, this event will highlight both the economic and health impacts of the polio vaccine in the United States and abroad, and why this remains an important commitment. Moderator: Peg Willingham, Executive Director, Global Vaccines Campaign, United Nations Foundation Presenters: David Bowen PhD, Deputy Director, Global Health Policy and Advocacy, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation John Sever, MD, PhD, Vice Chair International PolioPlus Committee, Rotary International About the Series: At the 2010 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Bill Gates called upon the global health community to make the next 10 years about vaccines and their enormous ability to save lives. Embracing this invitation, Global Health Council and Research!America are co-hosting a series, Securing a Healthier Future with Vaccines, that aims to demonstrate the long-term benefits of vaccine research and development, both in terms of economic impact and lives saved. Learn about past successes, the potential of new and emerging vaccines, and the benefits of furthering support of the research and development of future vaccines. This series, “Securing a Healthier Future with Vaccines” is supported, in part, by Merck. http://www.globalhealth.org/news/article/1337
