Washington, D.C., November 11th, 2026— Every child deserves the opportunity to grow up healthy and protected from vaccine-preventable diseases. That belief has guided more than a decade of collaboration between the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Vaccine Ambassadors, a nonprofit organization founded by healthcare professionals and advocates committed to expanding equitable access to immunization.
Through PAHO's Regional Revolving Fund, Vaccine Ambassadors has helped countries across Latin America and the Caribbean access lifesaving vaccines and strengthen immunization programs. Since 2015, the organization has funded the procurement of almost 1.18 million doses, (including combination vaccines) protecting against multiple diseases with a single injection, and helping countries respond to priority public health needs and shield their populations from vaccine-preventable diseases.
The partnership reflects a shared conviction that where a person lives should not determine whether they have access to vaccines. Vaccine Ambassadors describes its mission as working with partners to achieve equitable access to lifesaving vaccines "one vaccine at a time, one community at a time," while PAHO has long worked to ensure countries in the Region can access quality vaccines at affordable prices through pooled procurement and technical cooperation.
Over the years, support provided through this collaboration has reached countries including Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.
Funding has supported vaccines against 14 diseases such as measles, rubella, polio, hepatitis B, yellow fever, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, meningococcal disease, and human papillomavirus (HPV), among others.
One of the defining strengths of the collaboration was Vaccine Ambassadors’ ability to adapt their support to evolving public health needs. Free from political affiliations or interests, they were able to focus solely on the well-being of communities, directing their efforts where they could have the greatest impact. Their flexibility, impartiality, and commitment to service exemplify the values of solidarity, and equity that continue to inspire others to champion immunization. What began as support for vaccine procurement gradually evolved into a broader effort to address emerging country needs, including strengthening and restoring immunization services following Hurricane Maria in 2017, aiding in the recovery of immunization programs disrupted by COVID-19, and supporting the introduction of HPV vaccines in countries that had yet to adopt them.
"At a time when many countries across the Americas are rebuilding and strengthening their immunization coverage, partnerships like this one are making a meaningful difference," said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of PAHO. "When donor commitment is matched with effective regional cooperation and pooled procurement, we can help countries reach more people with lifesaving vaccines, close immunization gaps and protect communities from vaccine-preventable diseases."
The impact is reflected not only in funding mobilized but also in the volume of vaccines delivered. In 2023 alone, Vaccine Ambassadors-supported resources contributed to the procurement of more than 155,000 vaccine doses for countries in the Caribbean, helping sustain routine immunization programs and strengthen protection against preventable diseases.
More recently, the partnership has supported efforts to expand access to HPV vaccines, an important tool for preventing cervical cancer. Vacine Ambassadors supported vaccine procurement in Suriname and later in Cuba, contributing to broader regional efforts to reduce the burden of HPV-related cancers. Support has also helped countries obtain meningococcal vaccines and other priority immunizations.
For Santiago Cornejo, Executive Manager of PAHO's Regional Revolving Fund, the partnership illustrates how donor contributions can directly support country priorities.
"One of the strengths of the Revolving Fund is its ability to connect solidarity with action," Cornejo said. "The support provided by Vaccine Ambassadors over many years has helped countries access vaccines when they needed them most and has contributed to stronger immunization programs across the Region."
The story of Vaccine Ambassadors is also one of people. Founded by healthcare professionals who believed that access to vaccines is a basic human right, the organization has built a community of supporters around a simple idea: vaccines save lives, and everyone should have the opportunity to benefit from them.
Its longstanding collaboration with PAHO demonstrates how philanthropy, technical cooperation, and a shared commitment to equity can work together to expand access to health throughout the Americas providing over a million doses across the Region.
PAHO gratefully recognizes Vaccine Ambassadors as a valued partner whose sustained support has helped countries strengthen immunization programs, expand access to vaccines, and protect communities across the Region.
The success of this partnership also reflects the individuals behind it. PAHO would like to recognize Jackie Kaufman, Vaccines Ambassadors’ co-founder, for her longstanding commitment to expanding access to immunization throughout the Americas, and to honor the legacy of Eric Montross, whose vision helped shape Vaccine Ambassadors and inspired a community united by the conviction that every person deserves the protection vaccines provide. Through their leadership and through the generosity of Vaccine Ambassadors donors, this collaboration has helped deliver lifesaving vaccines to communities across the Region.
Their legacy lives on not only in the partnerships they helped build, but in the millions of lives protected, the diseases prevented, and the healthier future made possible for generations to come.
