May 8, 2025
By Annie Zhang, WHEP Scholar, MD ’27, Drexel University College of Medicine
On April 30, 2025, medical students, health care advocates and future physicians gathered for an energizing advocacy workshop led by Lindsay Cobb, senior associate at the United Nation World Immunization Shot@Life event at Drexel. What followed was more than just a presentation — it was a masterclass in mobilizing passion into policy.
Ms. Cobb’s story is a compelling testament to what’s possible when dedication meets opportunity. A graduate of the University of Iowa with degrees in global health and human physiology, she began her journey with Shot@Life as a student fellow. Today, she helps coordinate the campaign’s national grassroots advocacy efforts, connecting everyday citizens — and especially health care professionals — with meaningful ways to support global childhood immunization.
“Advocacy meets you where you are,” Ms. Cobb told the room. And she meant it. Whether you have five minutes to sign a petition or the time and courage to meet directly with your member of Congress, there’s a role for everyone. Her message was both empowering and pragmatic: You don’t need to be a pediatrician or a policy expert to champion global vaccine equity. You just need to care and act.
Ms. Cobb underscored a sobering reality: Each year, 1.5 million children die from vaccine-preventable diseases. While progress had been steady for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic dealt a devastating blow to global immunization efforts. Millions of children missed routine vaccinations, and in some countries, coverage has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.
The consequences are real. Measles, polio, pneumonia and diarrheal diseases — many of which are easily preventable — continue to claim young lives. Ms. Cobb reminded us that vaccines are not only among the most effective tools in medicine; they are also among the most cost-effective, with an estimated $1 invested in immunization yielding over $50 in return. Yet global vaccine programs receive just a fraction of 1% of the U.S. federal budget.
Ms. Cobb demystified the advocacy process with clarity and approachability. She introduced Shot@Life’s five partner organizations — UNICEF, WHO, CDC, Gavi and USAID — and explained their roles in the vaccine delivery ecosystem. From negotiating affordable vaccine prices (Gavi) to ensuring cold chain logistics (UNICEF), each plays a critical part in the journey of a vaccine from manufacturer to child.
The challenge? Many of these organizations are currently facing funding threats amid shifting U.S. foreign policy priorities. As Ms. Cobb emphasized, this moment is critical: “If members of Congress aren’t hearing from us, they assume we don’t care.”
But she didn’t leave us with a problem. She provided the tools. With QR codes, scripts and pre-drafted letters, she invited participants to take immediate action. For those willing to do more, she encouraged writing op-eds, organizing peer events, and even joining Shot@Life’s annual Capitol Hill meetings in Washington, D.C. “When constituents speak, Congress listens,” she affirmed.
Perhaps the most resonant part of Ms. Cobb’s message was her belief in the power of health care professionals to lead change beyond the clinic walls. As future doctors, health care professionals and public health leaders, we are uniquely positioned to speak with authority and compassion about why vaccines matter.
By the end of the workshop, the room had transformed from passive listeners to potential advocates ready to use our voices, not just in exam rooms, but in the halls of government. Her workshop left us with a challenge, a toolkit and, most importantly, the belief that we each have a role to play in giving every child a shot at life.
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