Oakwoodites of Oakwood University Attend Vaccine Advocacy Summit

Four Oakwood University students and one staff member learned more about vaccine advocacy on March 2-4, in Washington, DC, at the Shot at Life Champion Summit. They participated in expert-led sessions, and heard from authorities in the field including United Nation's Foundation's CEO Kathy Calvin, and Global Parenting Expert and TV Personality Jo Frost.

The "take aways"from the 2015 Summit were:

1. Vaccines work,
2. Vaccines save lives around the world,
3. Vaccines are cost-effective and beneficial as primary prevention, and,
4. Every child everywhere deserves a Shot at a chance for a healthy, normal productive life!

Highlights included:

• High-level key note speakers were: Kathy Calvin, President & CEO, United Nations Foundation; Nicole Bates, Deputy Director, Global Policy & Advocacy, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Dr. Henri van den Hombergh, Senior Advisor Immunization UNICEF; Dr. Rebecca Martin, Director of the Global Immunization Division, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention; Peter Yeo, Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy, United Nations Foundation and President, Better World Campaign (moderated); and, Assistant Secretary Anne C. Richard, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, U.S. Department of State. The grand finale keynote speaker was Her Excellency Liberata Mulamula, Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United States.
• Meetings with congressional offices on Capitol Hill to share the importance of global childhood immunization programs.
• Breakout sessions with issue-experts focusing on global health, vaccine preventable diseases, advocacy, media outreach, and much more. 

Network opportunities with peers from across the country.