Healthy children are more likely to attend school and are better able to learn. Healthy workers are more productive. More productive economies mean greater stability in developing countries and improved security in the West.

Now, you might think of flu as just a really bad cold, but it can be a death sentence. Every year, 36,000 people in the United States die of seasonal flu. In the developing world, the data is much sketchier, but the death toll is almost certainly higher.

Nor is the suffering limited to children in developing countries.

When it comes to providing aid, developing innovations, and making bold steps that change the course of history, the United States is usually on the front lines.

I love science, and I believe in it. I have a faith that science can solve problems and make the world a better place.

In large part, thanks to widespread immunization, the number of young children dying each year has declined significantly, from approximately 14 million in 1979 to slightly less than eight million in 2010.