The Problem: During the COVID-19 pandemic, 67 million children missed out on lifesaving routine vaccines. This is the largest decline in nearly 30 years, and many of these children have not been reached through catch-up campaigns.

The Solution: Increasing access to vaccines and resources! We must protect progress made with immunizations, strengthen health systems, and ensure people everywhere have access to lifesaving vaccines for diseases like polio, measles, pneumonia, rotavirus, and COVID-19.

The Numbers: Global health spending is just a fraction of one percent of the federal budget, but it helps save millions of lives worldwide. House and Senate Appropriations Committees have released bills that fund global child immunization programs at different levels. Urge Congress to ensure the highest possible levels of funding for the State Department and the Department of Health and Human Services for these immunization programs:

• $85 million for USAID polio eradication efforts
• $300 million for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
• $145 million for UNICEF
• $180 million for CDC/Global Immunization Division (GID) polio eradication activities 
• $50 million for CDC/GID measles elimination programs 
• $109 million for World Health Organization (assessed contributions)