Vaccines save lives, and myriad groups at Cornell have a hand in their research, development, and advocacy. For millions of children worldwide, life-saving immunizations are still out of reach. That’s why students from Cornell’s Master of Public Health (MPH) program and faculty from Weill Cornell Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics recently joined forces at the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life Advocate to Vaccinate Summit to champion global vaccine access.
Shot@Life is an initiative that has been active for over ten years and brings together champions from around the country with the sole focus of advocating for vaccine access and funding for global public health. This year’s summit welcomed over 80 champions representing 35 states. As part of this inspiring initiative, the Cornell team, Aaron Connolly, MPH ’23, Parshad Mehta, MPH ’23, Neeti Patel, MPH ’24, and Premika Amudhan, MPH ’26, traveled to Washington, D.C., where they met with Congressional representatives and senators to make the case for continued U.S. investment in global immunization programs. Their goal? To ensure that all children, no matter where they are born, have access to vaccines that protect them from deadly but preventable diseases like measles, polio, and rotavirus. Polio Survivor Ramesh Ferris boldly shared his poignant and powerful firsthand experience as a polio survivor, illustrating the debilitating effects of the disease that many in the U.S. have never seen before.
“It was incredible to see how passionate everyone was about making real change,” said MPH Student Services Coordinator and longtime Shot@Life champion Katie Lesser. “We got to take what we’ve learned about vaccines and public health and turn it into action—directly speaking with policymakers who can help fund global immunization efforts.”
In addition to advocacy training and meetings on Capitol Hill, the students and pediatricians also had the chance to learn from leading experts at UNICEF, GAVI the Vaccine Alliance, and the Gates Foundation. Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Sallie Permar, and Staff Associate leading advocacy, Ilina Das Ewen, held a fireside chat about Dr. Permar’s CMV research, her career trajectory, and the critical role immunization plays in global public health and national security. Summit participants also explored new innovations in vaccine development, strategies to combat misinformation, and the power of community-based health to mobilize immunization efforts.
The interdisciplinary collaboration of two of Cornell’s entities reinforced the valuable partnership and resources at our institution to depict how vaccine research and advocacy go hand in hand. Scientific breakthroughs mean little if they don’t reach the people who need them most, and policies that fund and distribute vaccines save millions of lives every year. With the rise of vaccine misinformation and the threat of preventable disease outbreaks at home and abroad, public health professionals and pediatricians play a vital role in ensuring that every child has access to immunizations.
For the Cornell participants, this was more than a trip to Washington—it was a chance to be part of something bigger. “We’re pediatricians and public health leaders coming together,” said Dr. Permar. “It’s our job to make sure the vaccines we develop in research labs at Cornell have the chance to prevent disease across all populations. The U.S. is a leader in global health, and we must continue advocating for funding, trust, and access to life-saving immunizations, which keeps us all safe.”
Visit Shot@Life to learn more about vaccine advocacy. When we stand up for vaccines, we’re standing up for a healthier, brighter future for children everywhere.