W H Y V A C C I N E S M A T T E R

L A S T L O O K A T N O R T H K O R E A

BY DAN BUETTNER

MAGAZINE

What we can learn from Denmark, Costa Rica, and Singapore — the most joyful places on the planet

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VOL. 5 ISSUE 4

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T H E S E A R C H F O R

HAPPINESS

DenmarkThese young men leap from a 16-foot-high diving platform into Copenhagen’s harbor. A built environment that invites physical activity helps explain why Danes have among the lowest obesity rates in the world. The country frequently claims the top spot in the annual World Happiness Report, a reflection of its government- supported education, health care, and financial safety net.CORY RICHARDS

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What do Denmark, Costa Rica, and Singapore have in common? their people feel secure, have a sense of purpose, and enjoy lives that minimize stress

and maximize joy. Here’s how they do it.

h a P P i E s tP L ac E s

th E Wor LD’ s

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Two goats, Bella (left) and Ella, graze by the water in Freeborn County, Minnesota. Farm animals competing at county fairs are sometimes sold at market for their milk or meat. Others, like Bella, get a reprieve and return to their home pasture.

| P R O O F | A P H O T O G R A P H E R ’ S J O U R N A L

The competition is fierce at the county fair animal contests in Minnesota. Few are winners. What happens to the others?

The Unchosen

PAKISTAN Karachi shopkeeper Ghulam Ishaq didn’t trust the polio vaccine. Now he blames himself for the double misery of his four-year-old daughter, Rafia: one leg withered by polio, the other broken by a car she couldn’t dodge.

WhyVaccines MatterHere’s a way to save hundreds of thousands of young lives: Give children in poor countries the shots that rich countries take for granted.

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