Global childhood immunization levels stalled in 2023 leaving many without life-saving protection – new WHO data

Jul 16, 2024 News

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Kaieteur News – Global childhood immunization coverage stalled in 2023, leaving 2.7 million additional children un- and under-vaccinated compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to data published on Monday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.

The latest WHO and UNICEF estimates of national immunization coverage (WUENIC) – which provide the world’s largest and most comprehensive dataset on immunization trends for vaccinations against 14 diseases – underscore the need for ongoing catch-up, recovery and system-strengthening efforts. “The latest trends demonstrate that many countries continue to miss far too many children,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “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.”

According to the findings, the number of children who received three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) in 2023 – a key marker for global immunization coverage – stalled at 84% (108 million). However, the number of children who did not receive a single dose of the vaccine increased from 13.9 million in 2022 to 14.5 million in 2023.

More than half of unvaccinated children live in the 31 countries with fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings, where children are especially vulnerable to preventable diseases because of disruptions and lack of access to security, nutrition, and health services. Additionally, 6.5 million children did not complete their third dose of the DTP vaccine, which is necessary to achieve disease protection in infancy and early childhood. These trends, which show that global immunization coverage has remained largely unchanged since 2022 and – more alarmingly – has still not returned to 2019 levels, reflect ongoing challenges with disruptions in healthcare services, logistical challenges, vaccine hesitancy and inequities in access to services.

The data further show that vaccination rates against the deadly measles disease stalled, leaving nearly 35 million children with no or only partial protection. In 2023, only 83% of children worldwide received their first dose of the measles vaccine through routine health services, while the number of children receiving their second dose modestly increased from the previous year, reaching 74% of children. These figures fall short of the 95% coverage needed to prevent outbreaks, avert unnecessary disease and deaths, and achieve measles elimination goals.

Over the last five years, measles outbreaks hit 103 countries – home to roughly three-quarters of the world’s infants. Low vaccine coverage (80% or less) was a major factor. In contrast, 91 countries with strong measles vaccine coverage did not experience outbreaks. “Measles outbreaks are the canary in the coalmine, exposing and exploiting gaps in immunization and hitting the most vulnerable first,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This is a solvable problem. 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.”

The report shows that in 2023, the Americas region continued efforts to halt the ongoing decline in vaccination coverage, which started in 2010 and was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the regional office of WHO for the Americas, welcomed the region’s progress: “The Americas region shows positive results, undoubtedly due to the efforts of health professionals in countries, to the investments made, to political commitment, and to the responsible population that recognizes the importance of vaccination.”

The PAHO Director highlighted that, today, the Americas is the only WHO Region to exceed the pre-pandemic vaccination levels from 2019, “indicating a considerable acceleration in recovery.” But he warned that some countries still lag behind. Continuous efforts are needed to “once again achieve the vaccination coverage that historically put us at the top of the global ranking.” The Americas managed to reduce the number of children younger than 1 year who never received a dose of vaccine to 1.1 million. Compared to 2022, first-dose coverage for DTP-containing vaccines rose from 90% to 91% in 2023, while third-dose coverage increased from 83% to 86%. Although encouraging, these results still leave 1 in 10 children younger than 1 year in the Americas without protection. The first dose of measles-containing vaccine achieved a coverage rate of 85%, compared to 83% in 2022, and the risk of outbreaks for vaccine-preventable diseases in many communities remains high.

PAHO remains committed to strengthening National Immunization Programs, Dr. Barbosa said, reminding Member States that investment in immunization saves lives and is a win for society, “with savings in health costs, improved productivity, education, tourism, and other indicators of development.” The new data also highlight some brighter spots in immunization coverage. The share of adolescent girls globally who received at least 1 dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which provides protection against cervical cancer, increased from 20% in 2022 to 27% in 2023. This was largely driven by strong introductions in Gavi-supported countries, such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Nigeria. The use of the single-dose HPV vaccine schedule also helped boost vaccine coverage.

“The HPV vaccine is one of the most impactful vaccines in Gavi’s portfolio, and it is incredibly heartening that it is now reaching more girls than ever before,” said Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “With vaccines now available to over 50% of eligible girls in African countries, we have much work to be done, but today we can see we have a clear pathway to eliminating this terrible disease.”

However, HPV vaccine coverage is well below the 90% target to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem, reaching only 56% of adolescent girls in high-income countries and 23% in low- and middle-income countries. A recent poll of over 400,000 users of UNICEF’s digital platform for young people, U-Report, revealed that over 75% are unaware or unsure of what HPV is, underscoring the need for better vaccine accessibility and public awareness. When informed about the virus, its link to cancers, and the existence of a vaccine, 52% of respondents indicated they want to receive the HPV vaccine but are hindered by financial constraints (41%) and lack of availability (34%). While there’s been modest progress in some regions, including the African region and low-income countries, the latest estimates highlight the need to accelerate efforts to meet the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) targets of 90% coverage, and no more than 6.5 million ‘zero-dose’ children globally by 2030. The IA2030 Partnership Council calls for increased investment in innovation and ongoing collaboration. The council also recommends partners step up their support for country leadership to improve routine immunization as part of their integrated primary health care programmes, backed by robust political support, community leadership, and sustainable funding.

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• global, Immunization, Protection, UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO)

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