Vaccination Information Awareness London

Vaccination Information Awareness Initiative (VIAI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating vaccine-preventable diseases globally by providing public education on how vaccines harness the body’s natural defenses to safely develop immunity and protect people from otherwise dangerous and often deadly diseases. Our mission is to reduce the global prevalence of misinformation regarding the risks associated with vaccines, so that individuals are able to make better, more informed decisions when deciding to vaccinate themselves or their children. By traveling to communities with high rates of vaccine hesitancy, we hope to maximize the efficacy of one of the most impactful public health interventions available to humans and support the global eradication of vaccine-preventable diseases. One of the largest studies conducted globally surveyed more than 140,000 participants from over 140 countries to map the public attitudes held towards various major health issues, and found that 9% of respondents in the United Kingdom (UK) think that vaccines are unsafe, 11% did not agree that vaccines are important, and 10% of the respondents did not agree that vaccines were effective in 2018. Additionally, new figures utilizing NHS data show that the proportion of two-year olds in England immunized against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) fell for the fourth year in a row in 2017-2018, with many health professionals warning that this slight decline risks "turning back the clock" by leaving children unprotected. Because of this there have been 876 confirmed measles cases in England since September 10, 2018. The number of children in England receiving the five in one vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib) also fell to the lowest rate since 2008, and coverage declined in 9 out of 12 routine vaccination measures compared to the previous year. This means that the immunity against deadly or life-changing diseases of the past such as tetanus, diphtheria and polio is dropping, allowing many preventable diseases to increasingly threaten the future of public health, globally. Funds donated to our nonprofit organization will be used to support the travel and material costs of our next project in London, where we plan to distribute educational pamphlets and partner with local organizations to spread awareness on the facts and increasing misinformation surrounding vaccines.