Latest news with #ImmunizationAgenda2030
Japan Today
17-07-2025
- Health
- Japan Today
Global childhood vaccination shows slight improvement but challenges remain
A little girl reacts after receiving an oral vaccine during a vaccination drive for diphtheria, influenza, tetanus and pneumococcus in Lima, Peru November 7, 2020. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda/File Photo By Sriparna Roy A million more children completed the critical three-dose vaccination against diseases like diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to new data released by the World Health Organization. Despite the progress, drastic changes in funding, growing global conflicts, and rising vaccine misinformation threaten to further stall or even reverse progress which poses a threat. "We've hit this very stubborn glass ceiling, and breaking through that glass to protect more children against vaccine-preventable diseases is becoming more difficult," WHO's director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, Kate O'Brien, told reporters. In 2024, 89% of infants globally, about 115 million, received at least one dose of the DTP vaccine, and roughly 109 million completed all three doses of the staple shot that protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, also known as whooping cough, according to the new national immunization coverage data released on Tuesday by the WHO and UNICEF. But, nearly 20 million infants missed at least one dose of DTP-containing vaccine, which includes 14.3 million "zero-dose" children who never received a single dose of any vaccine. This is 4 million more than the target for the year needed to stay on track with Immunization Agenda 2030 goals, the report added. The world is currently off track for the goal, which has been to halve the number of zero-dose children and achieve at least 90% global immunization coverage. Data shows a quarter of the world's infants live in just 26 countries affected by fragility, conflict, or humanitarian crises, yet make up half of all unvaccinated children globally. In half of these countries the number of unvaccinated children has expanded rapidly from 3.6 million in 2019 to 5.4 million in 2024. "We're starting to see the emerging signs of slippage, and in other countries, stalling of vaccine coverage," said O'Brien. Despite the challenges, countries have been able to scale up vaccines for diseases such as HPV, meningitis, pneumococcal disease, polio, and rotavirus. In 2024, 31% of eligible adolescent girls globally received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine. While this is far from the 90% coverage target by 2030, it represents a substantial increase from the 17% coverage in 2019. Global coverage against measles also improved, but the overall coverage rate is far below the 95% needed in every community to prevent outbreaks. "The good news is that we have managed to reach more children with life-saving vaccines. But millions of children remain without protection against preventable diseases, and that should worry us all," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
15-07-2025
- Health
More than 14M children globally have not received a dose of any vaccine: WHO
More than 14 million children around the world have not received a single dose of any vaccine, according to new data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. This is 4 million more children than the 2024 target set by the WHO and 1.4 million more children than in 2019, which is the baseline year for measuring progress. About 25% of the world's infants live in 26 countries that are affected by conflict, fragility or humanitarian crises, but they make up half of all unvaccinated children, according to the global health agency. Children are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated for many reasons including lack of access, disrupted supply, conflict and instability, or misinformation about vaccines. "Stalling of vaccine coverage, even the smallest drops in immunization coverage as measured at the country level, can have devastating consequences," Dr. Kate O'Brien, director of the WHO's Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, said during a press briefing on Monday. "It opens the door to deadly disease outbreaks and puts even more pressure on health systems that are already stretched. Immunization Agenda 2030 targets are in reach to protect more children [with] life-saving vaccines." Immunization Agenda 2030 is in reference to a series of goals put forth by the World Health Assembly to address challenges in improving access. However, there were some bright spots in the report. In 2024, 89% of infants globally, equivalent to about 115 million, received at least one dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccine, and 85%, roughly 109 million, completed all three doses. By comparison, in 2023, about 171,000 more children received at least one vaccine and one million more children received the three doses. Protection against measles also improved, with 84% of children receiving the first dose and 76% receiving the second dose. While these are slight increases from the previous year, it means 30 million children are unprotected, especially as the world faces an increasing number of outbreaks. "The good news is that we have managed to reach more children with life-saving vaccines. But millions of children remain without protection against preventable diseases, and that should worry us all," Catherine Russell, executive director of UNICEF, said in a statement. "We must act now with determination to overcome barriers like shrinking health budgets, fragile health systems along with misinformation and access constraints because of conflicts. No child should die from a disease we know how to prevent," Russell said. The release of the data came just a few weeks after Health and Human Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the U.S. was pulling its funding from GAVI, an international organization that works to improve access to vaccines, claiming the organization "ignored the science." Kennedy claimed in a video posted online that the U.S. had provided $8 billion in funding to GAVI since 2001. Public health officials called on governments around the world to help fill the gaps in funding, although the U.S. withholding funds was not explicitly stated. "It is really, really important that maintaining these coverage trends, which are quite easily fragile unless efforts are sustained," Dr. Ephrem Lemango, associate director for health and global chief of immunization at UNICEF, said during Monday's press briefing. "It is important that we maintain our commitment to immunization, and we're calling on governments and partners and communities to do all that is necessary to maintain immunization coverage, including closing the funding gaps, serving communities in conflict and fragile settings, and addressing misinformation," Lemango said.
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First Post
15-07-2025
- Health
- First Post
Global childhood vaccination improves in 2024, but progress threatened by conflict and misinformation
In 2024, 89% of infants globally, about 115 million, received at least one dose of the DTP vaccine, and roughly 109 million completed all three doses of the staple shot that protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, also known as whooping cough, according to the new national immunization coverage data released on Tuesday by the WHO and UNICEF read more A little girl reacts after receiving an oral vaccine during a vaccination drive for diphtheria, influenza, tetanus and pneumococcus in Lima, Peru. File image/ Reuters A million more children completed the critical three-dose vaccination against diseases like diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to new data released by the World Health Organization. Despite the progress, drastic changes in funding, growing global conflicts, and rising vaccine misinformation threaten to further stall or even reverse progress which poses a threat. 'We've hit this very stubborn glass ceiling, and breaking through that glass to protect more children against vaccine-preventable diseases is becoming more difficult,' WHO's director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, Kate O'Brien, told reporters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In 2024, 89% of infants globally, about 115 million, received at least one dose of the DTP vaccine, and roughly 109 million completed all three doses of the staple shot that protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, also known as whooping cough, according to the new national immunization coverage data released on Tuesday by the WHO and UNICEF. But, nearly 20 million infants missed at least one dose of DTP-containing vaccine, which includes 14.3 million 'zero-dose' children who never received a single dose of any vaccine. This is 4 million more than the target for the year needed to stay on track with Immunization Agenda 2030 goals, the report added. The world is currently off track for the goal, which has been to halve the number of zero-dose children and achieve at least 90% global immunization coverage. Data shows a quarter of the world's infants live in just 26 countries affected by fragility, conflict, or humanitarian crises, yet make up half of all unvaccinated children globally. In half of these countries the number of unvaccinated children has expanded rapidly from 3.6 million in 2019 to 5.4 million in 2024. 'We're starting to see the emerging signs of slippage, and in other countries, stalling of vaccine coverage,' said O'Brien. Despite the challenges, countries have been able to scale up vaccines for diseases such as HPV, meningitis, pneumococcal disease, polio, and rotavirus. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In 2024, 31% of eligible adolescent girls globally received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine. While this is far from the 90% coverage target by 2030, it represents a substantial increase from the 17% coverage in 2019. Global coverage against measles also improved, but the overall coverage rate is far below the 95% needed in every community to prevent outbreaks. 'The good news is that we have managed to reach more children with life-saving vaccines. But millions of children remain without protection against preventable diseases, and that should worry us all,' said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
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Business Standard
15-07-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Over 14 million infants missed all vaccines in 2024, warn WHO and UNICEF
Over 14 million infants worldwide did not receive any routine vaccinations in 2024, says the latest joint report by WHO and UNICEF. This marks an increase from 12.9 million in 2019 and is 4 million higher than the annual target required to stay on track with the Immunization Agenda 2030 goals. More than half of the world's unvaccinated infants are in nine countries — Nigeria, India, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Angola. While these nations account for a large share of zero-dose children, it's important to note that high overall coverage can still exist alongside high absolute numbers. For example, India recorded 909,000 unvaccinated infants in 2024, about 6 per cent of the global total, despite reaching 96 per cent vaccine coverage among 22.7 million infants. Vaccination coverage steady, but below target Global childhood vaccination rates showed marginal improvement in 2024: 89 per cent of infants received at least one dose of the DTP vaccine (against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis/ whooping cough). 85 per cent completed the recommended three-dose series. Around 20 million infants missed at least one dose of DTP-containing vaccine last year. 84 per cent received the first dose of measles vaccine Global coverage for the first dose of HPV vaccine in girls grew from 27 per cent in 2023 to 31 per cent in 2024. Coverage of yellow fever vaccine in the countries at risk of it is 50 per cent, well below the recommended 80 per cent. Funding, misinformation and added challenges UN officials expressed concern about the slashed health aid budgets. 'Vaccines save lives, allowing individuals, families, communities, economies and nations to flourish,' said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. 'Drastic cuts in aid, coupled with misinformation about the safety of vaccines, threaten to unwind decades of progress.' The report highlights that around 10.2 million unvaccinated or under-vaccinated infants live in countries facing conflict or social and institutional instability. These children are the most vulnerable to disease outbreaks and urgently need focused support. Why vaccines still matter Vaccines save up to five million lives every year, according to WHO. Unvaccinated children are significantly more vulnerable to life-threatening diseases, which can also spread rapidly through communities when herd immunity falters. While stabilising coverage is a step forward, the continued presence of over 14 million zero-dose infants is a global red flag. Unless urgent action is taken, health experts warn that progress made over decades in childhood immunisation could unravel, leaving the world vulnerable to preventable but deadly disease outbreaks. To reach every child, WHO and UNICEF calls for: 1. Targeted funding for countries with the highest zero-dose populations 2. Better delivery mechanisms in fragile and conflict-affected regions 3. Strong public messaging to combat vaccine hesitancy and disinformation 4. Investing in better data and disease surveillance systems for high-impact immunization programmes.
Yomiuri Shimbun
15-07-2025
- Health
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Global Childhood Vaccination Shows Slight Improvement but Challenges Remain
July 15 (Reuters) – A million more children completed the critical three-dose vaccination against diseases like diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to new data released by the World Health Organization. Despite the progress, drastic changes in funding, growing global conflicts, and rising vaccine misinformation threaten to further stall or even reverse progress which poses a threat. 'We've hit this very stubborn glass ceiling, and breaking through that glass to protect more children against vaccine-preventable diseases is becoming more difficult,' WHO's director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, Kate O'Brien, told reporters. In 2024, 89% of infants globally, about 115 million, received at least one dose of the DTP vaccine, and roughly 109 million completed all three doses of the staple shot that protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, also known as whooping cough, according to the new national immunization coverage data released on Tuesday by the WHO and UNICEF. But, nearly 20 million infants missed at least one dose of DTP-containing vaccine, which includes 14.3 million 'zero-dose' children who never received a single dose of any vaccine. This is 4 million more than the target for the year needed to stay on track with Immunization Agenda 2030 goals, the report added. The world is currently off track for the goal, which has been to halve the number of zero-dose children and achieve at least 90% global immunization coverage. Data shows a quarter of the world's infants live in just 26 countries affected by fragility, conflict, or humanitarian crises, yet make up half of all unvaccinated children globally. In half of these countries the number of unvaccinated children has expanded rapidly from 3.6 million in 2019 to 5.4 million in 2024. 'We're starting to see the emerging signs of slippage, and in other countries, stalling of vaccine coverage,' said O'Brien. Despite the challenges, countries have been able to scale up vaccines for diseases such as HPV, meningitis, pneumococcal disease, polio, and rotavirus. In 2024, 31% of eligible adolescent girls globally received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine. While this is far from the 90% coverage target by 2030, it represents a substantial increase from the 17% coverage in 2019. Global coverage against measles also improved, but the overall coverage rate is far below the 95% needed in every community to prevent outbreaks. 'The good news is that we have managed to reach more children with life-saving vaccines. But millions of children remain without protection against preventable diseases, and that should worry us all,' said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
