Over 14 mn children worldwide did not receive a single vaccine in 2024: UN

New Delhi: More than 14 million children worldwide did not receive a single dose of any vaccine in 2024, according to new national immunisation coverage data released on Tuesday by the UN agencies World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.

The report showed that nearly 20 million infants missed at least one dose of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccine last year, threatening to unwind decades of progress.

More than 30 million children also remained under-protected against measles, leading to more large or disruptive outbreaks.

In 2024, the number of countries experiencing large or disruptive measles outbreaks rose sharply to 60, nearly doubling from 33 in 2022.

The report blamed limited access to immunisation services, disrupted supply, conflict, and instability, or misinformation about vaccines for children remaining un or under-vaccinated.

“Vaccines save lives, allowing individuals, families, communities, economies and nations to flourish,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

He noted that the missed doses were due to the “drastic cuts in aid, coupled with misinformation about the safety of vaccines”.

The report also noted that global childhood vaccination coverage held steady with around 171,000 more children receiving at least one vaccine compared to 2023, and one million more completed the full three-dose DTP series.

In 2024, 89 per cent of infants globally -– about 115 million -– received at least one dose of the DTP-containing vaccine, and 85 per cent — roughly 109 million – completed all three doses.

Coverage against measles also improved, with 84 per cent of children receiving the first dose and 76 per cent receiving the second dose, which shows a slight increase from the previous year.

An estimated 2 million more children were reached in 2024, but the overall coverage rate is far below the 95 per cent 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.

Russell called on governments for increased 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.”

The report also raised concerns over falling national and global funding, growing instability worldwide, and rising vaccine misinformation that is threatening to further stall or even reverse progress made in the last several decades. This would risk increases in severe disease and deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases.

IANS