About STOP
STOP participant in Fiji with children during a vaccination campaign
The Stop Transmission of Polio (STOP) program, through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), trains volunteer international public health professionals and deploys them to countries around the world. STOP participants play a critical role in supporting polio eradication efforts and strengthening immunization systems and vaccine preventable disease surveillance programs in the countries where they work.
The work that STOP participants do not only has a powerful impact on the health systems of their assignment countries, but presents a valuable opportunity for participants to learn new skills, grow as individuals and build their professional profiles. STOP is also a valuable career advancement opportunity, and many alumni secure positions in WHO, UNICEF, Non-Governmental Organizations, and ministries of health upon completion of the program.
Learn More:
Volunteer Positions

STOP participant vaccinating a child in Nigeria
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking highly qualified public health professionals to join the STOP Program for up to two 11-month assignments, for a maximum of two years. Please click on the links below to find out more about the specific qualifications for each STOP position.
- Field Epidemiologists
- Communications Specialists
- Data Managers
- Immunization and Surveillance Data Specialists
How To Apply

STOP participant training health workers in Uganda
Recruitment for the STOP 53 team (with deployment beginning July 2019) will be open 1-31 October 2018. Applications submitted before or after the open application period will not be considered.
Please see the following links for instructions on how to apply for the next STOP team:
Success Stories

Smiling children and STOP participant in Syria
Since 1998, the STOP program has built capacity to fight polio and other vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) around the world. STOP participants make critical contributions to:
- Global polio eradication efforts
- Measles and rubella elimination efforts
- Enhanced VPD surveillance and control
- Improved national routine immunization services and systems
- Timely and effective outbreak response
By participating in STOP, volunteers gain valuable skills in international immunizations and surveillance, cross-cultural communication, and working with agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and international ministries of health. Afterwards many STOP alumni secure positions with WHO, UNICEF, ministries of health, and other international public health agencies.
Please see the following links for success stories and benefits of STOP participation:
Success Stories
STOP Volunteers: Polio Heroes
Recent STOP Publications:
- Overview of the STOP Program — 1999–2013
- STOP Data Management Assignment and its Role in Polio Eradication and Immunization Improvement
- Lessons Learned and Legacy of the STOP Program
- Using the STOP Program to Develop Immunization Workforce in South Sudan
- Page last reviewed: October 23, 2018
- Page last updated: October 23, 2018
- Content source:
Global Health
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