Vaccinating children in developing nations

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- The United Nations Foundation in Washington has announced a campaign to expand access to vaccines for children in developing countries, called Shot@Life.

Timothy E. Wirth, president of the U.N. Foundation, says Shot@Life is a national grassroots movement that will educate, connect and empower Americans to champion vaccines as one of the most cost-effective ways to save children's lives around the world.

"Building on the success of the U.N. Foundation's other campaigns, we are honored to partner with leading experts in vaccine advocacy and delivery to work on the noble and urgent cause of increasing global access to immunizations," Wirth says in a statement. "Shot@Life's groundbreaking partnership will bring hope to millions of parents around the world that their children will have a lifetime of protection from deadly and disabling diseases."

The Shot@Life campaign is expected to build a grassroots constituency to advocate for and donate to expanding access to childhood vaccines in developing countries, where many children die due to the lack of immunizations, Wirth says.

"For only $20, a child can receive lifelong protection against measles, pneumonia, diarrhea and polio via the vaccines," Wirth says.

When children are immunized, they are more likely to celebrate their fifth birthday, do well in school and go on to be productive, healthy adults, Wirth adds.