UN Agencies Warn of Stalled Child Immunization Rates

A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has sounded the alarm on stalled childhood vaccination rates globally, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.

According to the data, global immunization coverage remained flat in 2023 compared to pre-pandemic 2019 levels. This has left 2.7 million children unvaccinated or under-vaccinated, particularly against measles.

The agencies noted that over 14 million children did not receive even a single dose of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine in 2023. More than half of these unvaccinated children live in fragile or conflict-affected regions.

“Closing the immunization gap requires a global effort,” said UNICEF’s Catherine Russell, calling for increased investment in primary healthcare and community outreach to ensure every child is fully protected.

Experts warn that the stagnation in childhood immunization threatens to reverse hard-won progress in tackling preventable diseases worldwide.