Immunization in developed countries is common and the general economic level of the population means that having your child vaccinated and protected from deadly diseases such as the measles is really a non-issue.

Not so in underdeveloped countries, where preventable diseases such as polio and diphtheria strike again and again. High rates of poverty make it impossible for people in many countries in Africa and Asia to be immunized against preventable diseases without outside help.

There are groups dedicated to mass immunization programs and the fight against preventable diseases. The World Health Organization and the Red Cross are two agencies who set up huge campaigns to raise funds and provide vaccines to underdeveloped countries.

Millions of people have been involved in the immunization campaigns and thanks to their efforts the rate of death due to some diseases is dropping. For example, the Measles Initiative has vaccinated more than 213 million people and by 2010, the death rate from the measles will have dropped 90% compared to 2000 statistics.

The cost of providing a full set of vaccinations against the six deadliest, preventable diseases is less than 20$, and the measles vaccine alone costs only one dollar per individual.

The good news is that the success rate of mass immunization programs has encouraged workers and volunteers to spread their efforts to more countries that need help. Global measles deaths have been reduced by 48% thanks to vaccinations and the goal of health care providers everywhere is to eradicate the disease completely.

Were each individual in the world immunized against measles, the disease would have nowhere to strike and would be extinguished completely. While health organizations are not quite at the point of total elimination of preventable diseases yet, projections claim that by 2010, deaths caused by measles will have been reduced by 90%, compared to statistics of the year 2000.

Many people may be asking themselves how they can support the efforts of health care workers and volunteers involved in massive immunization campaigns. The best way is to ensure that your own children's vaccination schedule is up to date, and to continue to have your children immunized against crippling, preventable diseases.

Total eradication of preventable diseases can only occur if the virus had no person to sink its teeth into and every individual on earth is protected from infection.