Measles Initiative vaccinates one billion children in first decade

The Measles Initiative has helped vaccinate one billion children in more than 60 developing countries since 2001, making significant gains in the global effort to stop measles. The immunization campaign was sponsored by the Measles Initiative’s five founding partners – the American Red Cross, United Nations Foundation, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UNICEF, and World Health Organization (WHO). “When we started the Measles Initiative ten years ago, we knew that we would help save millions of lives, but we never imagined where the world’s support would take us,” said David Meltzer, senior vice president of international services with the American Red Cross. “With every dollar donated, we vaccinated another child. Across the globe, we stopped outbreaks, improved treatment and protected future generations from one of the world’s deadliest diseases. This milestone in measles control is significant and improves the overall outlook for children’s health around the world.” In 1980, before...