Salzburg Global Says ‘Vaccines Save Lives’

An international coalition of public health leaders issued a statement on May 30, 2019, asserting its commitment to eliminating vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, mumps, and rubella. 

To address the growing global risks of infectious diseases, the authors of the Salzburg Statement founded the International Working Group on Vaccination and Public Health Solutions (IWG) to advocate for, and help develop, new approaches to managing vaccine hesitancy. 

The Salzburg Global Fellows, made up of public health leaders from Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas, pledged to support the development and implementation of new fact-based communications programs to help parents, community, and government leaders make appropriate decisions on childhood immunization.

The Salzburg Statement says ‘Vaccines save lives, make communities more productive and strengthen health systems. They are undisputedly one of the most cost-effective ways of avoiding disease, each year preventing 2-3 million deaths globally.’ 

"This statement represents the consensus of a group of independent leaders in public health, law, and medicine who are deeply concerned by the growing threat of hesitancy of parents to vaccinate their children against preventable infectious diseases," said Dr. Scott Ratzan, in a press release. 

"The erosion of parental trust can have long-lasting harm to public health. We must respond with greater creativity, purpose, and generosity of spirit and use multi-sectoral approaches to address this issue." 

Recent vaccine hesitancy news:

• The WHO Seeks Greater Transparency of Pharma Products
• US Hospital Ship Returning to the Americas
• Secretary Azar Blames Social Media Misinformation for Under-Vaccinations
• AMA Says ‘Combat Fake Vaccine News’

This Statement’s goal is to explain vaccinations to parents or caregivers, answer their questions, address their concerns, and maintain public confidence in the personal, family and the community protection that childhood vaccines provide.

Every effort will also be made to communicate the dangers associated with these childhood illnesses to parents and communities since this information seems to have been lost in the present-day narrative. 

For more information, visit CUNY SPH.