Children's Immunisation Appeal
Join us this World Immunisation Week 24th-30th April to make children's lives safer by protecting them against preventable diseases.
Every year, around 1.5 million kids die needlessly from vaccine preventable diseases. Measles, pneumonia and polio can be deadly for children, yet together we can protect kids from these and other diseases, simply by immunising them.
Over the last 50 years, vaccines have saved at least 154 million lives, mostly children. Pretty amazing right? But even with this incredible progress, some children are still missing out on the vaccines and health care they need.
Help us keep the vaccines coming, because no child deserves to die from an illness we know how to prevent.
With a little support from you today, we can protect more children for life.
Loading donation form...
WE GO BY WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY TO PROTECT KIDS.
BY BOAT
Trésor Eyale is a nurse at the Lolifa Health Center in DRC. Twice a month, Trésor paddles in a dugout canoe up the Ruki River to vaccinate the most remote children.
“I do the vaccination to protect the lives of the children in my community. I want them to grow up healthy, because among them are future leaders, future doctors and future vaccinators.”
ON FOOT
Basanta Malla treks across the countryside of Nepal with her vaccine carrier, as part of our community outreach programme in Nepal. Basanta has been vaccinating children in her community for over 27 years.
“Vaccines protect children from diseases, keep them healthy,” she says.
BY MOTORBIKE
Payenda Atayee is 27 years old and has been working as a vaccinator in Afghanistan for 4 years.
He's en-route from the Shaheed Mosleh Health center to Deh Para village.
“I go to the areas for vaccination implementation 15 days a month, 6 days outreach and 9 days mobile. Some of these areas are very remote, and motorcycles cannot reach them, so we are forced to walk to these areas and spend a full day there, which usually takes more than twenty-four hours.”
BY DRONE
In a world first, UNICEF staff use drone technology to deliver vaccines to remote areas and outer islands in Vanuatu.
“With the world still struggling to immunise the hardest to reach children, drone technologies can be a game changer for bridging that last mile to reach every child.” - Henrietta H. Fore, UNICEF Executive Director.
BY CAMEL
In Sudan, Mahmoud takes a camel to reach children in remote villages in the Barqiq Valley. He goes door-to-door vaccinating kids against polio.
“These are our people and children, so we make every effort to include them in the health campaigns and routine immunizations.”
BY BIKE
Thierry Walakawi is a community worker in DRC. He’s preparing to travel by bike to a village 7km away to deliver life-saving vaccines and support immunisation of children in his community.
BY HORSE
Jiydegul Rysbaeva has been a medical nurse in Kyrgystan since 1988.
“I administer vaccines on horseback,” she says.
For 38 years, Jiydegul has travelled on her horse across the remote Jon-Bulak Valley, delivering lifesaving vaccines and care to children and families in 41 farmsteads across the region.
"As both a mother and a nurse, I make sure [my family's children] never miss a single vaccination, because I believe vaccinations protect my children's and grandchildren's lives,”
“We must educate parents about vaccines." she says.
The best way to protect a child is by vaccinating them
Hawi Tapene is 18-months-old and she’s not received any of her routine childhood vaccinations. Like many children her age, without vaccine protection, she’s at risk from numerous deadly childhood diseases.
Ever since her family were displaced from their home in Ethiopia, her mum has had to work from dawn to dusk collecting firewood, to make just $5 a day to feed Hawi and her family.
“That is my priority for now”, says Hawi’s mum.
I’m sure you’ll agree, no parent should have to make the heart-breaking choice between feeding their child or protecting them against disease.
If you can, please make a life-saving donation now to protect kids like Hawi. Every year 25 million kids are missing out on simple life-saving vaccines.
Thanks to generous support from donors like you, Hawi is getting vaccinated. She's been protected for life against 8 deadly diseases, including measles.
“I am so happy that my child is vaccinated and protected from all diseases,” says Hawi’s mum.
Milkessa holds onto her daughter Hawi, they wait patiently to get Hawi vaccinated to protect her against 8 deadly childhood diseases.
Other ways you can donate
If you'd like to donate over the phone, call our friendly team on 0800 243 575.
If you'd like to donate direct to our bank account, please use account 01-0505-0463764-00 and the code 'immun-ws'.
Other ways to support kids getting vaccinated:
Help us spread awareness of the need to vaccinate kids against preventable diseases by sharing this appeal with your friends and family.
If you'd like to fundraise with your community to support our work, you can start a fundraiser here.
Disclaimer:
In the event that funds raised exceed UNICEF's funding requirements, the appeal no longer needs funding, or the decision is made to close this appeal, your one-off or ongoing monthly donation will go to our Greatest Need Appeal. Where possible we will communicate this with you, however in some circumstances this might not be possible.
Your life-saving monthly donations will support this appeal for a period of twelve months. After that they will go into our Greatest Need Fund to save and protect kids worldwide.
UPDATED: 23rd April, 2026
Donate to this appeal
SSL protected donation
Photo Essay: The Lengths to Reach Every Child with Vaccines
Even in the most remote places, UNICEF staff deliver life saving vaccines. Every child, no matter where they are, should be protected from disease.
18 million doses of first-ever malaria vaccine allocated to 12 African countries for 2023–2025
Twelve countries across Africa will receive 18 million doses of the first-ever malaria vaccine. This is a critical step in the fight against a leading cause of death in Africa.
A history of hope
Over the last 200 years, vaccines have built up a pretty astounding resume. In that short amount of time, they’ve helped us ward off some of the world’s most devastating diseases.
First-ever malaria vaccine saves countless lives in Africa
A revolutionary tool for saving lives, 35-years in the making, has been rolled out in countries that need it most. 18 million doses of the first-of-its-kind vaccine against malaria is set to change the lives of kids in Africa. This is a historic step in health care! And it's all thanks to the dedicated support from partners and UNICEF donors.