The Future of Global Immunization:Will the Promise Be Fulfilled?

In January 2010 at the World Economic Forum, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation launched the Decade of Vaccines by pledging $10 billion over the next 10 years to support worldwide efforts to develop and deliver vaccines to the world’s poorest countries. The foundation also challenged other global partners to demonstrate their continuing commitment and, in so doing, to dramatically reduce child mortality by the end of the decade. This is a tremendous opportunity for transforming global health and could have significant consequences for child survival while expanding the impact of vaccines across the lifespan, but there is no easy formula for success. How a number of challenges are addressed will be critical to success or failure in the next decade and to the most effective use of available resources. This report outlines 10 important issues facing the global vaccine and immunization agenda.