UN Warned As Childhood Immunization Levels Stall, Missing Vaccination

UN organizations today reported that global childhood immunisation levels stalled in 2023, with a whopping 14.5 million kids missing out on the essential three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) vaccine.

The report provides estimates of national immunisation coverage (WUENIC) for vaccinations against 14 diseases listed by the WHO and UNICEF.

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In 2023, 84% of children (108 million) received three doses of the DTP vaccine, but 14.5 million did not receive a single dose, an increase from 2022. Additionally, 6.5 million children did not complete their third dose, which is crucial for disease protection in early childhood.

The report also blamed the low vaccination rate against measles for driving outbreaks in about 103 countries in the last 5 years. On the other hand, 91 countries with strong measles vaccine coverage did not experience outbreaks, it noted.

Improvements In Immunization

“Measles outbreaks are the canary in the coal mine, exposing and exploiting gaps in immunisation and hitting the most vulnerable first,” stated Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

He also added that it “is a solvable problem”.

The report also revealed that measles vaccination rates have stalled, with 35 million children lacking full protection. Only 83% of children received their first dose, while 74% received their second dose, a modest increase from 2022.

The low vaccination rate has led to outbreaks in 103 countries in the last five years, while 91 countries with high measles vaccine coverage remained outbreak-free.

The report highlighted improvements in immunization coverage for other diseases, such as HPV, meningitis, pneumococcal, polio, and rotavirus, in countries supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

However, the report emphasized the need to accelerate efforts to meet the Immunisation Agenda 2030 targets of 90% coverage and reduce the number of “zero-dose” children to no more than 6.5 million globally by 2030.