Global Health

Read CDC's Roadmap to Ending Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

CDC’s Global Immunization Division (GID) is involved in one of the most effective of all global public health missions – vaccination against deadly diseases – which saves the lives of 2 to 3 million people every year. GID works closely with a wide variety of partners to protect global citizens against contagious and life-threatening vaccine-preventable diseases.

Learn more:
Strengthening Immunization Systems
Polio Eradication
Measles and Rubella Elimination
STOP Program
Research & Reports
Field Stories
Photo Essays
Infographics
Other VPDs

CDC’s Global Immunization Division (GID) is dedicated to ensuring that everyone, everywhere shares in the benefits of immunization. We do this by providing scientific and public health expertise, and by making evidence for action available for optimal policy and programmatic decision-making at all levels, from community to global. Our vision is a world with healthy people protected from vaccine-preventable diseases, disabilities, and death.

Vaccines prevent an estimated 2.5 million deaths among children younger than age 5 every year. Still, 1 child dies every 20 seconds from a disease that could have been prevented by a vaccine. Why? Because 1 in 5 children in the world do not have access to the life-saving immunizations that keep children healthy.

Diseases do not respect geographical borders and travel as easily as people and products within countries and across continents. By preventing vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) globally, CDC is protecting Americans from VPDs coming into the United States from other countries.

Learn more about our work to Strengthen Immunization Systems.

CDC plays a critical role in promoting global immunization at the global, regional, and country levels by providing scientific leadership and guidance to implement evidence-based strategies to control, eliminate and eradicate vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). This year marks the 50th anniversary of CDC’s global immunization leadership, which began with the establishment of CDC’s Smallpox Eradication Program in 1966.

Dr. Stephen L. Cochi is currently (since 2006) the Senior Advisor to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Global Immunization Division (GID). He holds a B.S. from MIT, an M.D. from Duke University, and an M.P.H. from Emory University. Dr. Cochi completed residency training in pediatrics at the Massachusetts General Hospital and in preventive medicine at the CDC. In addition, he completed CDC’s two-year Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) training program in 1984.

Learn more 50 Years of Global Immunization Progress.