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STORY: UNICEF / GLOBAL CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATION LEVELS
TRT: 03:32
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: CREDIT UNICEF ON SCREEN / UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 00:01 GMT, MONDAY 15 JULY, 2024
LANGUAGE: NATS
DATELINE: FILE – SEE SHOTLIST FOR DETAILS
2023 – YEMEN
1 Med shot, young girl stares at the camera holding her arm as she waits to get vaccinated against measles
2. Med shot, health worker prepares a syringe to vaccinate a girl against measles
3. Med shot, health worker vaccinates a male child against measles
4. Wide shot, health worker vaccinates checks her records on immunized children in the governorates of Aden and Sayoun
2024 – SUDAN
5. Wide shot, health worker walks in a remote area to deliver vaccines to children
6. Wide shot, group of vaccinators travel on a horse carriage to deliver vaccines to children. War disrupted health services including child vaccinations in Sudan and measles outbreaks have been confirmed in several states this year
7. Wide shot, group of vaccinators, mostly women, travel by boat to deliver vaccines to children in Sudan
8. Close up, frontline worker opens a cooler box as she prepares to vaccinate a child against measles
9. Med shot, frontline worker vaccinates a young male child against measles
10. Med shot, young male child holds his vaccination card and smiles as he looks into the camera
2023 – GUATEMALA
11. Wide shot, nutrition and health brigade supported by UNICEF walks into a community to vaccinate children
12. Close up, health worker prepares a vaccine shot
2022 – SOUTH KALIMANTAN, PROVINCE, INDONESIA
13. Close up, a health worker prepares a vaccine shot in South Kalimantan province, Indonesia
14. Close up, health worker administers the vaccination of a male child at a school in Indonesia
FILE – MALI
15. Close up, child suffering from measles
2024 – KIRIBATI
16. Med shot, Baby Mwaaua receives vaccination in Kiribati
2024 – BOLIVIA
17. Wide shot, Health workers outreach children with life-saving vaccines in a community
18. Close up, health worker vaccinates a young female child
19. Close up, baby receives a dose of oral vaccine
2019 – DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
20. Med shot, Mothers and their babies waiting to receive routine immunization during a measles campaign
21. Close up, health worker prepares to vaccinate children
22. Close up, child receives vaccination against measles
2024 – RIAU ISLANDS, INDONESIA
23. Med shot, health worker talks to children prior to immunizing them at a school
24. Med shot, children lift their uniform sleeves as they get ready to receive immunization at school
25. Close up, health worker administers routine immunization
2024 – MALI
26. Med shot, Men attach a vaccine cooler box on the back of a motorcycle to deliver essential vaccines to children
27. Med shot, vaccinator delivers routine immunization at a community in Mali
28. Med shot, vaccinator delivers routine immunization at a community in Mali
2024 – UKRAINE
28. Med shot, mother fills out a form prior to getting her child immunized at a clinic
29. Med shot, fridge filled with vaccine boxes
30. Close up, baby receiving routine immunization
2024 – THE PHILIPPINES
31. Med shot, mother waits to get her new-born vaccinated
32. Close up, new-born receives routine immunization
2023 – LIBERIA
33. Med shot, health worker talks to a girl and her caregiver about the HPV vaccine
34. Med shot, health worker talks to two girls and their caregiver about the HPV vaccine
35. Med shot, health worker talks to a girl and her caregiver about the HPV vaccine
36. Close up, health worker prepares to administer the HPV vaccine
37. Close up, health worker vaccinates a girl against HPV
38. Close up, girl looks straight into the camera right after receiving her HPV shot
2024 – THE PHILIPPINES
39. Med shot, girl receiving HPV vaccination
2024 – NIGERIA
40. Med shot, teenage girl receiving HPV vaccination
41. Med shot, teenage girl receiving her vaccination card after getting vaccinated against HPV
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 today 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.
Low vaccine coverage already driving measles outbreaks
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.”
Global HPV vaccine coverage among girls increased substantially
The new data also highlight some brighter spots in immunization coverage. The steady introduction of new and under-utilized vaccines, including for human papillomavirus (HPV), meningitis, pneumococcal, polio and rotavirus disease, continue to expand the breadth of protection, particularly in the 57 countries supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
For example, the share of adolescent girls globally who received at least 1 dose of the 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%).
Robust local action needed to reach everyone, everywhere with vaccines
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.
