Vaccine Status

Vaccines are a critical tool for increasing child survival.  Historically, vaccination has proven to be a safe, cost-effective option for dramatically reducing death and disability associated with many childhood diseases, such as measles and polio.

Pneumonia is the world’s number one killer of childen, and there are safe, well-tolerated and effective vaccines available to prevent this deadly disease.  

Pneumococcal vaccines can protect children from Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is the most common cause of severe pneumonia among children living in the developing world, and can also  causes meningitis and sepsis.

Hib vaccine are also available to protect children against Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), which is another major cause of severe pneumonia, as well as meningitis.  Hib leads to an estimated 3 million cases of serious illness and 400,000 deaths each year in children under 5 years of age.

These vaccines have been used successfully primarily in industrialized countries to reduce the burden of child pneumonia.  In recent years, great progress has been made in increasing access to these vaccines for children in developing countries as well.  However, much work remains to ensure universal access to these life-saving interventions.