11 May Building on Vaccine Achievements, Agency and Partners Ramp Up to Immunize 4 Million
Posted at 11:58h
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Chris Thomas and Angela Rucker, USAID
In 1977, movie goers were introduced to Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, and the plaid leisure suit was the height of fashion for the well-dressed urban male. It was also the year of the last known case of smallpox—in the East African country of Somalia.
Unlike any other event that year, the eradication of smallpox from the planet showed that a singular breakthrough and a vast public campaign can go up against daunting odds in even the least developed nations to create a truly global triumph.