( CNN ) -- Some people have a difficult time deciding what to give during the holiday season . For me , it could n't be easier . That 's not only because shopping for my husband , Bill , is so easy -- he 's quite happy to receive books or jigsaw puzzles every year . It 's also because there is a simple way that anyone can give a meaningful gift this time of year . And it 's happening Tuesday . Just as there 's Black Friday and Cyber Monday for finding great shopping deals , there 's now # GivingTuesday for anyone who is feeling grateful this time of year and wants to share a bit of their good fortune with those in need . One of the best ways we 've found to do that is to contribute to the U.N. Foundation 's Shot @ Life campaign . For just a few dollars , you can provide life-saving vaccines to children in the poorest countries . Living in the United States , most of us take vaccines for granted . We get them when we 're children , and when we grow up to be parents , the pediatrician tells us when our child should get the next one . But that is n't the case in many parts of the world , where millions of children still are n't getting immunized against life-threatening diseases . Bill and I believe that vaccines are one of the real miracles of modern medicine . Over the last 50 years , they have saved more lives than any other medical innovation . Vaccines have nearly eliminated polio , and significantly reduced the incidence of life-threatening diseases such as measles , pneumonia and severe diarrhea . With vaccines , children have a much better chance of growing up healthy and becoming productive members of their community . Without vaccines , children are vulnerable to many deadly and disabling diseases . Today , more than 80 % of children around the world receive a complete course of life-saving vaccines during their first year of life . That 's incredible progress . Yet one in every five children -- mostly in the world 's poorest communities -- do n't get this level of protection . As a result , an estimated 1.5 million children under age 5 die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases . Thankfully , there are committed , compassionate people working to close this gap . Since 2000 , one of our largest global health partners , Gavi , the Vaccine Alliance , has enabled 440 million children in developing countries to receive life-saving immunizations . This effort has saved the lives of 6 million children . At the community level , women in particular play a major role in helping children get the vaccines they need . In Pakistan and Nigeria , female health care workers risk their lives to get polio vaccines to children in areas of conflict . And mothers are most often the ones keeping track of their children 's health records and making sure they get vaccinated . And there 's another group -- people like you -- who can also make an important difference . Often , people say they do n't believe they can really have an impact on big , global issues . The truth is , they can . In the 15 years that I 've been doing this work , I 've seen time and again that when lots of individuals take action it adds up to a movement that can achieve impact for women and children on a grand scale . And when it comes to vaccines , it 's easy to have a real and lasting impact right now . For just a $ 5 contribution to Shot @ Life , you can protect a young girl from polio and measles for her entire lifetime . For $ 15 , you can protect a boy from the two most deadly diseases -- pneumonia and severe diarrhea . The more you 're able to give , the more children you can help protect . And on # GivingTuesday , the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is sponsoring a `` one day sale . '' We will match any donation you make to Shot @ Life , so your gift will go even further . No matter how much you decide to donate , giving a child a shot at a healthy life is one of the most meaningful gifts you can give this holiday season . When you help one child grow up healthy , you 're helping an entire family . And healthy , thriving families help entire communities create a better world for all of us . A small gift can make a big difference .
Melinda Gates : You have saved more lives than any medical innovation . Living in the world , most of us take vaccines for granted , she said . Gates : Women play big roles in helping children get vaccines they need .