About CDC's Work in Global Immunization

Key points

  • CDC’s Global Immunization Division (GID) works to strengthen global immunization programs, both operationally and scientifically.
  • This work advances the control and elimination of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs).
  • GID prioritizes work in the countries with the highest risk of VPDs.

Preventing disease

Immunizations can help prevent, control, and eliminate diseases.‎

GID works with U.S and global partners to help countries achieve global control, elimination, and eradication targets for high-burden VPDs. GID and partners also work to prevent and respond to VPD outbreaks.

Through global engagement, CDC:

  • Innovates to speed the availability and deployment of new vaccines and diagnostics
  • Develops and implements vaccine strategies to prevent transmission of disease
A 5-year-old girl in Yemen shows that her finger has been marked after receiving a vaccine.
A 5-year-old girl in Yemen shows that her finger has been marked after receiving a vaccine. ©UNICEF/U.S.CDC/UN0684452/Hayyan

GID is dedicated to ensuring that everyone, everywhere, shares in the benefits of immunizations.‎

GID works with U.S and global partners to find and vaccinate children and others missed by vaccination programs. GID and partners also support new vaccine introductions against the diseases that cause the greatest disability and death.

CDC's global immunization mission helps improve health – a pillar for strengthening global health security. This work reduces death, disease, and disability from VPDs and, by extension, protects Americans where they live, work, and play.

CDC supports countries and partners to sustain:

  • Adequate immunization resources and workforce
  • Evidence-based decision making
  • Immunization safety systems that protect domestic and global populations

Building strong immunization programs

GID helps countries prevent and respond to vaccine-preventable diseases.‎

With its global immunization partners, GID aims to deliver immunizations to all children and adults.

Immunization programs can most effectively prevent death, disease, and disabilities when national vaccine coverage rates are high. The programs are even more effective when these rates are sustained and reach at-risk populations across the life course.

CDC helps improve these rates by strengthening health systems, identifying priority populations, removing barriers, and supporting vaccination through global partnerships.

CDC works with countries to strengthen:

  • Surveillance (also known as disease detection)
  • Laboratory work
  • Vaccination campaigns

In addition to delivering vaccines, this work enhances countries' ability to detect and respond to outbreaks.

Prioritizing the highest-risk countries

GID works with global partners to support countries all over the world.‎

Our intensified focus on priority countries helps CDC guide its investments to save and improve the most lives through vaccination.

GID's priority countries fall into two major categories:

Intensified investment and intensified technical assistance countries

GID is making intensified investments in Ethiopia, DRC, Nigeria and providing intensified technical assistance to Indonesia, the Philippines, and Brazil.

These are countries containing "consequential geographies," or areas within countries where VPD outbreaks are more likely, and also more likely to spill over to neighboring areas. These outbreaks have "consequential" impacts beyond the areas' geographic size or population.

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What are consequential geographies?
What are consequential geographies? Areas within countries where Vaccine Preventable Disease (VPD) outbreaks are more likely, and also more likely to spread to other areas. Focusing on consequential geographies helps CDC and partners prevent disease and death from VPDs where they are most likely to happen.

Endemic polio countries

CDC prioritizes work in the two countries where polio remains consistently present: Afghanistan and Pakistan. In addition, CDC places priority on work in countries experiencing polio outbreaks.

CDC focuses on countries with high burden, divided into Tier 1 and Tier 2 categories.
CDC Priority: Countries with Highest Risk of Disease Transmission

GID also works in other countries, as well as at regional and global levels, to advance specific priorities. GID’s country priorities are based on epidemiological characteristics, risk assessments, and potential for CDC to make a critical contribution.

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What is endemic? Endemic status means that a virus is still consistently present in an area.
What is endemic? Endemic status means that a virus is still consistently present in an area. Example: wild poliovirus is only endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Vaccination has stopped the spread of wild poliovirus everywhere else in the world. Vaccination is our best protection against vaccine-preventable diseases. No one should live with the threat of preventable disease.
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  • Health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health.