There’s lots of hot air circulating about vaccines. We’re here to set the record straight, because vaccines are at the heart of our work – keeping children alive and healthy!

1You only need to be vaccinated if you travel to far-off places Except that there are these things called airplanes. And boats. And trains. While it’s true that in many wealthier countries, vaccine-preventable diseases are rarer, travelers can unwittingly spread diseases they bring back from abroad to their community, which could spread quickly through unprotected populations.
And, not everyone can be vaccinated. Pregnant women and people with certain medical conditions rely on the rest of us being vaccinated and minimizing the chance they will be exposed to deadly diseases. Check out coverage of the recent measles outbreaks in New York City and the UK, and a recent whooping cough outbreak inCalifornia. There’s also this handy map of all the outbreaks of preventable diseases around the world.

2. It’s a personal decision. Just like it’s a personal decision to cover your mouth when you cough on a crowded bus, or call an ambulance when your neighbour’s house is on fire, right?
The bottom line is, we are all interconnected in this big, messy global community of germ-sharers. When children aren’t immunized, their communities are at greater risk of potentially deadly diseases.

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