‘Doctor’s visit — time for vaccines!’ Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg took his baby daughter, Max, for her first vaccines this week. Is this a sign he is about to use his vast wealth to boost vaccination around the world?
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It’s not the first time the billionaire has publicly supported vaccination. He added On Immunity by Eula Bliss to his recommended reading list, he donated $20 million to Ebola research, and he has said this:
Shortly after the birth of their daughter, Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan announced that they would set up a charitable foundation. Their plan is to give away 99% of their assets (don’t worry, they will still be okay for money!).
Ever since, the world has wondered how exactly the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative would use its endowment. For clues, check out the open letter the couple penned to their newborn.
They put a lot of focus on technology and health:
“Children have the best opportunities when they can learn. And they learn best when they’re healthy.”
There is much emphasis on investing in health – particularly in preventing and curing illnesses:
“Consider disease. Today we spend about 50 times more as a society treating people who are sick than we invest in research so you won’t get sick in the first place.
Medicine has only been a real science for less than 100 years, and we’ve already seen complete cures for some diseases and good progress for others. As technology accelerates, we have a real shot at preventing, curing or managing all or most of the rest in the next 100 years.
Today, most people die from five things — heart disease, cancer, stroke, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases — and we can make faster progress on these and other problems.”
If they do decide to go big on vaccines, the Zuckerberg-Chans will join an illustrious list of philanthropists who see vaccines as a great investment:
- Bill and Melinda Gates have already invested in GAVI, vaccine delivery, and vaccine research.
- Warren Buffett has donated most of his fortune to charity, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
- Last month target=”_blank”Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher pledged $500 million to buy measles vaccines for people living in Syrian refugee camps.
- A Canadian couple recently announced a major donation to the fight against polio
The attraction of vaccines is clear: they offer incredible impact.
Dr Seth Berkeley of the GAVI alliance suggests their value is on a par with investing in primary education.
“Healthy children lead to healthy societies. We know that the power of vaccines is almost equivalent to that of primary education in terms of cost-benefit ratio,” he said. “When a child gets sick, not only can they not go to school, but also the family – in most of the countries we work in – has to pay out of pocket for healthcare which can tip them into poverty.”
The World Bank has even described vaccines as a ‘development tool’, saying they are “among the most cost-effective public health interventions”.
So if Mark Zuckerberg is looking for worthwhile way to reach millions of people in need, he may be considering preventative health as a very attractive option.
Still need persuasion? Here’s a little bonus video from US comedian Jimmy Kimmel
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