With the recent measles outbreak of over 600 cases which started in Texas and has now spread to Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Washington, promotion of accurate, scientific information about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines is not only smart, but essential to public health.

World Immunization Week is coming up in two weeks, on April 24th – 30th. What will your club and district do to raise awareness about the importance of immunization? Many of you remember the launch of the PolioPlus program in 1985 and the promise that Rotary made to the children of the world. Thanks to vaccines and your support, polio cases have been reduced by 99.9%. No child should suffer from diseases like polio that a vaccine can prevent.

To complete our top humanitarian project we need you to help educate your communities about the benefits of vaccination and tell the story of Rotary’s efforts. Click here to download available graphics and other promotion materials on Rotary’s Brand Center.

Rotary will livestream two conversations during World Immunization Week, one at its start on April 24th and the other at its end on April 30th, both at 10:00 a.m. (Central): A Conversation with Public Health Experts (24th) and A Conversation with a Polio Survivor (30th). Both will be live on Rotary’s Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube accounts.

Action ideas:

• Have a club meeting focused on talking with members about Rotary’s polio eradication efforts.
• Host an event to raise awareness of and funds for PolioPlus.
• Start an online fundraiser using Raise for Rotary and share it with your network.