Giving Compass' Take:

• The Center for High Impact Philanthropy has determined that vaccinations are an opportunity for funders to make a significant impact with their donations. 

• What countries have the greatest need for vaccinations? What vaccine research is needed to improve global health? 

• Learn more about the importance of immunization. 

It costs about $2 to fully protect a child against measles and rubella, making the vaccine one of the best buys in global public health. Yet, in low-income countries, measles kills more than 110,000 people annually and impacts 20 million more despite the availability of this highly effective, inexpensive vaccine. Rubella can have grave consequences for pregnant women and their babies; some 100,000 children are born each year with congenital rubella syndrome that results in multiple birth defects such as heart problems, deafness, and blindness.

The Measles & Rubella Initiative is a partnership founded in 2001 by the American Red Cross, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United Nations Foundation, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization. It works in close collaboration with governments and other organizations to implement measles elimination and rubella control activities in 77 priority countries.

Read the full article about vaccinations at the Center for High Impact Philanthropy.