In 2024, 89% of infants around the world received at least one dose of the vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP), and 85% completed all three doses, according to new data released by the WHO and UNICEF.
This is an increase from 2023, with around 171,000 more children receiving at least one dose and about 1 million more receiving all three DTP shots. But, according to the WHO, there are still almost 20 million infants who missed at least one dose of DTP and 14.3 million who have still not received one dose of DTP, which is used as a benchmark to assess immunization coverage rates.
Missed immunizations are the consequence of a mix of factors, including limited access to vaccinations, supply chain issues, global conflicts and misinformation about vaccines, according to the WHO. “Vaccines save lives, allowing individuals, families, communities, economies and nations to flourish,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, MSc, said in a press statement. “It’s encouraging to see a continued increase in the number of children being vaccinated, although we still have a lot of work to do. Drastic cuts in aid, coupled with misinformation about the safety of vaccines, threaten to unwind decades of progress. WHO remains committed to working with our partners to support countries to develop local solutions and increase domestic investment to reach all children with the lifesaving power of vaccines.”
Unequal Access to Vaccines
Many countries (131/195) have consistently ensured that at least 90% of children receive one dose of DTP. However, “there has been no significant movement in expanding this group,” according to the WHO.
Of those countries with less than 90% measured in 2019 (the benchmark year), only 17 countries have increased their rates as of 2024. In 47 countries, the situation has stalled or worsened. In 22 countries who had at least 90% vaccination, the rates have now declined. “Even small declines in immunization coverage can dramatically raise the risk of disease outbreaks and place additional strain on already overstretched health systems,” the WHO said.
An important factor in this stagnation and decline is global conflict, according to the WHO. “The data shows conflict and humanitarian crises can quickly erode vaccination progress. A quarter of the world’s infants live in just 26 countries affected by fragility, conflict, or humanitarian crises, yet they make up half of all unvaccinated children globally.” It underscores the need for humanitarian responses to include vaccination, the WHO said.
But there is some improvement. Work by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has helped improve immunization coverage in 57 low-income countries in the past year, reducing the number of un- and undervaccinated children by roughly 650,000.
“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, JD. “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.”
Based on a press release.