Ask Your Member of Congress to Lead on GAVI Vaccinations

We have an opportunity to save 4.2 million children's lives by 2015 with two new vaccinations to protect against rotavirus and pneumonia. Yes, it's that simple; we can give these new vaccinations to kids in 44 countries (as, right  now, these kids don't have access to the vaccines), and we'll see millions of children stay alive! Do you want a piece of this action? Read on.

There is a key moment coming up on June 13 when donor nations will meet in London to make pledges to GAVI Alliance, the organization with the plan to save all these lives. Pledges made at the conference will determine whether or not GAVI will have funds to roll out the rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines. We need to make sure that President Obama and others in the administration hear loud and clear that we want the U.S. to do it's part to save these lives. A pledge of $450 million over three years at the London conference is what's needed from the U.S. Here's what you can do:

• Learn about the diseases and the vaccines. Check out this 4-minute video about rotavirus and learn about GAVI.
• Help with a sign-on letter. If you want to ask your member of Congress to lead on creating a sign-on letter to the President, please contact Ken Patterson or Lisa Marchal. We'd like President Obama to receive bi-partisan letters from both the Senate and the House with lots of signatures on them showing support for a bold U.S. pledge.
• Write a letter to the editor. Write a letter to your paper for Mother's Day. No mother should have to watch her child die because of lack of access to vaccinations. Let your community and your members of Congress know your view. (They read the paper, too.) For more in-depth GAVI information you can share with your local paper, check out the GAVI editorial packet in our newsroom (available this week).
• Write to your member of Congress about GAVI. Use our action alert to write to your member of Congress about the need to fund GAVI adequately in 2012 so that the world can undertake this critical vaccine initiative.