Bill Gates Says Providing nOPV2-Like Vaccines To 'Zero-Dose' Children Will Usher In 'Healthier Future For Us All'

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says we must immunize children who have not been vaccinated before to eradicate polio, a move that he says is essential to ensuring a “healthier future for us all.”

What Happened: Gates, who is one of the biggest donors to the World Health Organization and has been battling to eradicate certain diseases spreading across the world, on Friday, took to Twitter to advocate for polio vaccination for "vulnerable children."

"To [end polio,] we must immunize the world’s most vulnerable children — especially those who have not been vaccinated before. Protecting ‘zero-dose' children against paralysis with polio vaccines like nOPV2 will help usher in a healthier future for us all," Gates said. 

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The philanthropist made his comments on the microblogging platform while sharing a tweet from the community-based organization Rotary International. 

Why It Matters: Gates and his philanthropic initiative, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for years has been a major contributor to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The foundation has donated billions of dollars towards polio eradication efforts, including funding vaccination programs in countries where polio is widely prevalent.

Gates has also repeatedly warned that it remains a threat to humanity until we end polio for good. Global efforts to eradicate polio have made significant progress in recent years.

According to Statista, the number of cases has declined consistently since 1980, as per the most recent data available till 2021. 

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