Bill Gates Pledges $10B for Vaccines

Bill Gates upped the ante for charitable giving again today, pledging $10 billion dollars for the development of vaccines over the next decade. The semi-retired Microsoft founder aims to save the lives of as many as 8 million children under the age of 5 in the world's poorest countries, reports the Times. “Vaccines already save and improve millions of lives in developing countries," Gates said in announcing the donation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "Innovation will make it possible to save more children than ever before.”

Added Melinda Gates: “We’ve made vaccines our No 1 priority at the Gates Foundation because we’ve seen firsthand their incredible impact on children’s lives.”