NU
Wed, 16 July 2025
GENEVA – Over 14 million children worldwide did not receive any routine vaccinations last year, a figure consistent with the previous year's numbers, according to a joint assessment by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF released today. Nine countries collectively account for over half of these unprotected children.
The annual estimate for 2024 shows that approximately 89% of infants globally received their first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (DTP) vaccine, mirroring 2023 levels. Completion rates for the three-dose DTP series saw a slight increase to 85% from 84% in 2023. However, despite these modest gains, experts warn that significant challenges threaten to reverse decades of immunization progress.
U.N. health officials highlighted that drastic cuts in international aid, coupled with rising misinformation regarding vaccine safety, are major obstacles. Recent policy shifts, including the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO, a freeze on humanitarian aid, and the announced cessation of U.S. funding to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, are expected to exacerbate these difficulties. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, cited concerns over Gavi's scientific integrity in his decision to pull U.S. financial support, despite long-standing evidence of vaccine safety and effectiveness in preventing millions of deaths annually.
Experts also noted persistent "deep inequality" in vaccine access, with conflicts and humanitarian crises quickly undoing advancements. Sudan, for instance, reported the lowest DTP coverage. The nine countries with the highest number of unvaccinated children include Nigeria, India, Sudan, Congo, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Angola.
Measles vaccination rates also showed a slight rise, with 76% of children receiving both doses worldwide. However, a 95% coverage rate is deemed essential to prevent outbreaks of this highly contagious disease. In 2024, 60 countries experienced significant measles outbreaks.
The United States is currently battling its worst measles surge in over three decades, while Europe recorded 125,000 cases last year—double the figure from the year prior. A recent measles-related child death in Liverpool, UK, underscores the urgency, as only about 84% of British children are protected.
Health experts, like Professor Helen Bradford of University College London, emphasized that vaccination remains the sole effective way to halt measles transmission, stressing that it's "never too late to be vaccinated."
As misinformation spreads and vital aid falters, the global fight to shield every child's future intensifies.
