Statement by Bill and Melinda Gates on the GAVI Alliance's Announcement of Vaccine Industry Offers for Lower-Priced Life-Saving Vaccines

SEATTLE, June 6, 2011 -

Bill and Melinda Gates, co-chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
issued the following statement on the GAVI Alliance's announcement of new
offers from developing country and multinational vaccine manufacturers to
lower prices.

"One of the highest priorities of the Gates Foundation is to increase
access to life-saving vaccines for children in the world's poorest countries.
The reductions in prices offered by developing country and multinational
vaccine manufacturers will enable the GAVI Alliance to take a significant
step toward ensuring that children living in poor countries have the same
access to life-saving vaccines as children living in rich countries.

"We're particularly excited about the offers for rotavirus vaccine
because the shock of learning that more than 500,000 children die each year
from a preventable disease that causes severe diarrhea is what drew us to
work in global health in the first place. With these offers, GAVI will be
able to make even greater use of donor commitments - now and in the future -
to significantly increase the number of children it can protect from deadly
yet preventable diseases."

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, +1-206-709-3400, media at gatesfoundation.org