Vaccines are among humanity’s greatest achievements. When we vaccinate ourselves and our loved ones, we help protect entire communities from the emergence and spread of diseases. This means vaccines help keep babies safe, allow children to attend school in a healthy environment, and ensure adults can work and care for their families without the disruption of illness.

At the International Vaccine Institute, we are a nonprofit international organization dedicated to discovering, developing, and delivering vaccines that are safe, affordable, and accessible to protect the world’s most vulnerable people.  Our mission doesn’t stop at vaccines—we are at work to turn vaccines into vaccination. From discovering new vaccines in our laboratories to testing them through clinical trials and improving pathways to access, we are at every step of protecting people from preventable infectious diseases—around the world, and at home.

This World Immunization Week, we turn inward and ask our scientists, researchers, communicators, and vaccine advocates at IVI: Why is immunization important to you? What does this year’s campaign Immunization for All is Humanly Possible mean to you? Here’s what they had to say.

Sunee Chuasuwan

Head of Clinical Operations and Trial Management

Why is immunization important to you?

I am one who always believes vaccination is the best preventive practice against serious infection, and I can maintain my health while focusing on taking care of my family and work.

Irene Njau

Project Manager

What does “Immunization for All is Humanly Possible” mean to you?

This theme to me means providing vaccines for all people regardless of who they are or where they live within the limits of human capability.

Cindy Park and her daughter Doah

Korean Public Relations & Communications Specialist

Why is immunization important to you?

Vaccines are only effective when they’re actually administered. They don’t just protect the person receiving them—they help safeguard families and entire communities. I truly believe immunization is one of the most cost-effective ways to build a healthier, stronger world.

Satya Sarkar

Research Scientist

What does “Immunization for All is Humanly Possible” mean to you?

Having had the privilege of working in the polio eradication program in India from 1999 to 2002—the biggest immunization campaign ever in the world—which vaccinated nearly 165 million children under the age of five in a single day several times a year for many years until polio was finally eradicated from India in 2013, firmly convinces me that Immunization for All is humanly possible. A high order of political will, an incredible level of social mobilization and public engagement, and strong trust in the vaccine and the polio vaccinators was the bedrock of the eradication campaign.

Even though the world has changed, and there are huge swathes of the world with complex humanitarian crises and conflicts—Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Yemen, Sudan to name just a few—you will still and always find the intrepid polio vaccinators out there on the frontlines, ensuring that any and all children somehow get their dose of polio vaccine and prevent outbreaks from spreading.

Jenny Joh

Researcher

What does “Immunization for All is Humanly Possible” mean to you?

The theme emphasizes that immunization for all is, in fact, achievable when we work together. I interpret “humanly possible” as a reminder that, despite the challenges that may make it seem like an unachievable goal, it is indeed attainable through human effort.

Kevin Keen and his daughter Soleil

Senior Communications Consultant

Why is immunization important to you?

Immunization is important to me as a parent and as someone who works in global health. It helps protect my daughter now and in the future from serious and sometimes life-threatening diseases. Vaccine-preventable diseases are just that – preventable with safe and effective vaccines. The childhood immunization schedule is carefully developed and updated based on the latest scientific evidence to provide long-term protection. It’s a simple but powerful way to safeguard our children’s health and the health of our communities. I am proud to take part.

Raphaël Zellweger

Senior Research Scientist

Why is immunization important to you?

Immunization is a safe, affordable and effective way to fight infectious diseases and improve health worldwide.

Jonathan Lee and his son Jayden

Head of Human Resources

What does “Immunization for All is Humanly Possible” mean to you?

To me, it’s a call to action and a reminder of our shared responsibility. “Humanly possible” means doing whatever it takes to ensure that every person, no matter where they live, has access to life-saving vaccines. Because every human life matters, and everyone deserves the chance to live a healthy, safe, and fulfilling life.

At IVI, this World Immunization Week serves as a powerful reminder of the human effort and purpose behind every vaccination. The stories shared by our team illustrate that vaccines are not just a scientific achievement but a deeply personal mission for us. From parents to researchers, clinicians to communicators, we each play a role in turning vaccines into vaccination for healthier future for all.