UN Foundation Taps into Online Moms for Global Vaccines

Today (April 26) marks the launch of the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign. Shot@Life is a national movement to educate, connect and empower Americans to champion vaccines for children in developing countries. The campaign focuses on universal childhood moments to mobilize Americans, especially moms, to support vaccines and give all children access to important childhood milestones.

Below we share 5 reasons why Shot@Life is paving the way for social good using both online and offline mobilization.

5 Reasons Why Shot@Life Is Unique

Targeting Online Moms: Shot@Life recognizes the incredible interaction taking place for its key audience –moms — through online and social media networks. In fact, moms spend more time online daily than the general population with more than 2.5 hours a day in 2011. They are highly active on Facebook with 62% having an active profile. And, according to the New York Times, more than 23 million women are reading, writing, or commenting on blogs weekly.

Engaging Influential Mommy Bloggers: The campaign is driven by moms online, including power-houses like Holly Pavlika (MOMentum/Big Fuel), Polly Palumbo (MommaData),  Morra Aarons-Mele (Women & Work), Chrysula Winegar (When You Wake Up A Mother…You Wake Up the World), and Jennifer Burden (World Moms Blog), to name a few. These influential voices add credibility to the campaign and help amplify the message to millions of American moms.

Moving Supporters from Armchair to Action: The campaign channels its online mobilization into offline empowerment to build a network of lifetime champions for global vaccines. Shot@Life volunteers are active leaders in their communities. More than 50 champions across the country are leading or have already led local campaign activities, including fundraising parties, baby showers, advocacy visits, and media outreach, to support children around the world.  Shot@Life champions are connecting with their current networks of friends and local community connections to build local support for a global cause.

Using Powerful Imagery to Highlight Universal Truths: The campaign successfully illustrates everyday milestones that are universal to all mothers and children around the world. Immunizations give children around the world a shot at more “firsts.” Keeping kids healthy is the best way to ensure they reach the milestones Americans routinely celebrate—first smiles, first steps, first birthdays, first day of school and more.

Continuing a Legacy of Innovative Campaigns: The United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets and Girl Up movements have successfully developed innovative, constituency-building campaigns that have paved the way for future success.

Why This Matters

One child dies every 20 seconds from a disease that could be prevented from with a vaccine. Why? Because one in five children lack access to the life-saving immunizations that keep children healthy. Children are disabled or killed every year by vaccine-preventable diseases like pneumonia, diarrhea, measles and polio. Pneumonia and diarrhea are the two biggest killers of children under five, and account for more than one-third of childhood deaths worldwide. Polio has recently reemerged in areas that had been polio-free for years and measles still kills an estimated 450 people each day—the majority of whom are young children.

Vaccines are safe, simple and one of the most cost-effective ways to save and improve the lives of children worldwide. Thanks to global vaccination efforts, the number of new cases of polio – a disease that once paralyzed more than 1,000 children a day – has dropped 99 percent in the last 20 years. For $20, a child can have lifetime immunity to protect against pneumonia, diarrhea, measles and polio.

How Can You Help?

Visit www.shotatlife.org to learn how you can help give a child a shot at a healthy life.