Concerning Global Childhood Immunization Levels

July 15, 2024

Global childhood immunization levels stalled in 2023, leaving many without life-saving protection.

New data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveal nearly 3 in 4 infants live in countries where low vaccine coverage is driving measles outbreaks.

“Closing the immunization gap requires a global effort, with governments, partners, and local leaders investing in primary healthcare and community workers to ensure every child gets vaccinated, and that overall healthcare is strengthened,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

Among the key takeaways:

• Pandemic slowdown:  Globally, 2.7 million additional children were unvaccinated or under-vaccinated during 2023 compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
• Measles trends:  Only 83 percent of children worldwide received their first dose of the measles vaccine through routine health services. Second shot coverage modestly increased to 84 percent.
  • “These figures fall short of the 95 percent coverage needed to prevent outbreaks, avert unnecessary disease and deaths, and achieve measles elimination goals,” the two organizations noted.
  • Measles outbreaks have hit 103 countries over the last five years.
• Driving the trend:  COVID-19 drove lower vaccine coverage due to challenges with disruptions in health care services, distribution logistics, vaccine hesitancy, and inequities in access to services.
• Positive progress:  The report notes some progress when it comes to other vaccines, including human papillomavirus (HPV), meningitis, pneumococcal, polio, and rotavirus disease.
• Quotable:  “This is a solvable problem,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general. “Measles vaccine is cheap and can be delivered even in the most difficult places. WHO is committed to working with all our partners to support countries to close these gaps and protect the most at-risk children as quickly as possible.”

Additional information is available online.