Between 2019 and 2021, almost 67 million children worldwide have not been vaccinatedtotally or partially, alerts Unicef in a new report published this April 19, 2023. And among them, 48 million received none. A rate which fell by five points, reaching 81% of childhood vaccination, a level not recorded since 2008 even though vaccines save 4.4 million lives each year.
“More than a decade of advances in routine childhood immunizations have been undermined”, regrets UNICEF, which is particularly concerned about the return of measles and poliomyelitis. In fact, more than one in five children in the world today does not benefit from protection against measles. The number of cases has moreover doubled in 2022 compared to 2021.
67 million children missed routine vaccinations essential to their survival during the pandemic.
67 million children are not protected against preventable diseases.
67 million children need to be vaccinated to #RestoreImmunity. pic.twitter.com/FrdfOSiJK3
— UNICEF (FR) (@UNICEF_FR) April 20, 2023
Overall, vaccination coverage is down in 112 countries but particularly in South Asia and Africa, where 12.7 million children were under-vaccinated in 2021, including 8.7 million who did not receive a single dose, also called “zero dose” children. A situation that is all the more worrying as this decline comes at the end of a decade in which “childhood immunization growth was stagnating“, after a massive rise in the 1980s.
“Vaccines have played a really important role in enabling children to live long, healthy lives.”SO “any decline in vaccination rates is worrying”said Brian Keley, editor of the report, at theAFP. By 2030, Unicef aims to achieve 90% vaccination coverage concerning life-saving vaccines thanks to its “Immunization Agenda 2030″.
Why are childhood vaccination rates dropping?
Unicef speaks of a context of “survival crisis“Children. Covid-19 pandemic, conflicts around the world, impact of climate change, malnutrition, poverty…”It is increasingly difficult for health systems and governments to meet the need for vaccinations“, recognizes Brian Kelley.
More worrying: Unicef notes a declining confidence in vaccination in 52 countries out of 55 studied. “These data are a worrying warning signal.”, warns Catherine Russell, director general of Unicef. “Confidence in routine immunization must not be a casualty of the pandemic as well, or large numbers of children will soon die of measles, diphtheria or other preventable diseases..” Fortunately, in the majority of these countries, trust remains above 80%.
How to find the level? Unicef calls on governments to make efforts, first to identify and vaccinate those who were already deprived of their injections before Covid-19, but also by putting more resources into vaccination and care services, and by strengthening Requirement. “With COVID-19 immunization campaign resources still available, now is the time to redirect those funds to strengthen immunization services and invest in sustainable systems for every child.”concludes Catherine Russell.
Sources:
- Unicef report: The situation of children in the world in 2023
- In Africa, 12.7 million children have not received one or more vaccines in the last 3 yearsUnicef, April 20, 2023
