World Immunization Week | April 24–30, 2026 | | |
Over the past 50 years, vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives. Not by accident, but because ordinary people chose to protect themselves, their children, and their communities.
That's the power of immunization. And that's why World Immunization Week matters.
CORE Group's commitment to immunization runs deep. For over 20 years, our Core Group Partners Project (CGPP) worked across 9 countries, from Nigeria to South Sudan to India, strengthening polio eradication and reaching the hardest-to-reach communities.
As part of the MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity project, we worked alongside global partners to close equity gaps and reach zero-dose children across USAID-supported countries. That legacy of dedication continues today through our GAVI Zero-Dose Immunization Program (ZIP), which is actively immunizing zero-dose children in underserved communities.
That work doesn't stop. This World Immunization Week, CORE Group, alongside our member the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), is proud to join the global community under this year's theme: "For Every Generation, Vaccines Work."
In 2024, 20 million children still missed at least one vaccine dose. This week, we take action.
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Get Involved — Your Voice Matters
Join CORE Group and the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) as we raise awareness about the life-saving power of immunization across generations. Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) to share how your organization is contributing to a healthier, more vaccinated world.
Use #VaccinesWork and #WorldImmunizationWeek, and tag @COREGroupDC and @AfricaHealthBudgetNetwork to join the global conversation.
We invite you to download our World Immunization Week Social Media Toolkit & Assets (https://tinyurl.com/ba87ae7k) — featuring suggested posts, graphics, and key messages to support your advocacy throughout the week.
We encourage you to share photos, stories, or videos that highlight the positive changes your organization is driving through immunization. Together, let’s showcase how vaccines are building a healthier, more equitable future.
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🎙️ Press Conference- The Africa Health Budget Network is convening leaders, advocates, and partners in Nigeria to demand the political commitment and domestic financing that immunization programs urgently need, because words must become action.
📄 Advocacy Statement- AHBN will issue a powerful call to Africa's 55 Heads of State to step up for zero-dose children, underserved communities, and generations to come. Stay tuned.
📱 Social media- All week long, we are amplifying immunization stories, data, and wins from across our global network. Follow us, share our content, and add your voice to the conversation.
| | Real Stories, Real Impact | | |
Africa Health Budget Network Advocates for Nigeria's Immunization Budget
In February 2026, AHBN brought the case for immunization directly to Nigeria's National Assembly, calling for timely release of the N263 billion vaccine budget and stronger accountability for zero-dose children across Borno, Bauchi, Kano, and Sokoto.
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Gavi REACH — Reaching Children Across the Frontline in Tigray
In the conflict-affected zones of southern Tigray, Ethiopia, families went without routine immunization for nearly four years. Health workers from the Gavi REACH program walked nearly five hours through difficult terrain to deliver life-saving vaccines, negotiating access through conflict lines to reach children who had been completely cut off from health services.
As of the end of 2025, the ZIP-funded REACH program had provided more than 2.4 million children growing up in crisis zones with their very first vaccine, and 1.4 million children with their last recommended dose, leaving them fully immunized.
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New Incentives — Fathers Leading the Way in Northern Nigeria
Across northern Nigeria, fathers like Azzika Umar are making a powerful shift, stepping up to bring their newborns to vaccination clinics and taking an active role in protecting their children's health.
New Incentives is driving this change through community outreach and cash incentive programs that break down barriers and build trust in immunization. In 2025, New Incentives participated in more than 10,000 awareness meetings across their states of operation.
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John Snow Inc Brings Vaccines to Nigeria's Border Communities
JSI worked with community health provider Mallama Balkisu Isah and data officer Mallam Abubakar Hassan in the Mai Adu settlement, a critical trade location on Nigeria's northern border. Nineteen caregivers brought their children to the village head's home, where Balkisu carefully explained the importance of vaccination, managed concerns about side effects, and ensured every child received their dose. All 19 children were vaccinated. Through approaches like these, JSI has protected 99,413 children against vaccine-preventable illnesses across nine supported regions in Nigeria.
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HAPPI Webinar — Vaccination Across Populations: Protecting Girls, Older Cohorts, and Boys from HPV Thursday, April 30, 2026 | 8:00–9:30 AM ET
The global HPV vaccination landscape is evolving. While girls aged 9–14 remain the primary priority, reaching high coverage requires moving beyond one-size-fits-all models. This webinar will explore how to maintain a girl-centered approach while expanding access for older cohorts and boys, featuring a panel of experts who share practical adaptations for different population groups.
This webinar is hosted by the HPV Vaccine Acceleration Program Partners Initiative (HAPPI) Consortium in partnership with JSI, PATH, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Clinton Health Access Initiative, IVAC, and Jhpiego.
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Sabin Vaccine Institute — Advancing Vaccines for Every Generation
The Sabin Vaccine Institute is driving vaccine innovation for some of the world's most vulnerable populations, developing vaccines for deadly diseases that lack commercial interest, responding to outbreaks, and strengthening immunization systems globally. This World Immunization Week, explore their latest research and initiatives advancing the promise that for every generation, vaccines work.
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IPVS & CHIC — Sustaining HPV Vaccination and Cervical Cancer Screening in Africa Wednesday, May 13, 2026 | 10:00 AM EDT
Cervical cancer remains one of the most preventable cancers, yet women across Africa continue to face unequal access to HPV vaccination and screening. This free online event hosted by the International Papillomavirus Society and the Coalition to Strengthen the HPV Immunization Community brings together practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and advocates to exchange experience and strengthen collective action.
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PATH | Using AI to Accelerate Vaccine Development
New AI tools are helping researchers identify immune biomarkers that signal whether a new vaccine candidate works. PATH is at the forefront of this innovation, applying AI to bring life-saving vaccines to the children and communities that need them sooner.
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The Lancet | Strengthening Global Routine Childhood Vaccination
Now halfway through the Immunization Agenda 2030 decade, understanding past and recent coverage trends can help inform and reorient strategies for achieving the WHO's ambitious goals in the next five years. A timely and essential read for anyone working in immunization advocacy and policy.
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UNICEF | Immunization Data
The latest global data on immunization coverage, zero-dose children, and progress toward universal vaccination. An essential reference for advocates and communicators.
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WHO | Sierra Leone Surpasses HPV Vaccination Targets
In November 2025, Sierra Leone vaccinated more than 1 million girls against HPV — achieving 116% of its national target and reaching both in-school and out-of-school girls. Led by the government with support from WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, and Gavi.
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PLOS | Estimating population immunity against serotype-two poliomyelitis
This modelling study estimates polio vaccine immunity across 112 countries, finding that median serotype 2 population immunity among children under five. The research highlights the urgent need for optimized vaccination schedules and catch-up campaigns to close immunity gaps before 2030.
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Sabin Vaccine Institute | Boost Community for Immunization Professionals
Sabin's Boost Community provides a platform for immunization professionals around the world to connect with peers and access resources and trainings to enable them to grow in their careers. A valuable resource for health workers and immunization managers looking to strengthen their practice and connect with a global network.
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