Did Over 14 Million Children Go Unvaccinated in 2024?

New Delhi, July 15 (NationPress) Over 14 million children across the globe failed to receive any vaccination in 2024, as per newly released national immunisation coverage statistics from the UN agencies, World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. The report highlighted that almost 20 million infants missed at least one dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) vaccine last year, jeopardizing years of advancements.

Additionally, over 30 million children remained inadequately protected against measles, which could lead to larger and more disruptive outbreaks.

In 2024, the count of nations witnessing significant measles outbreaks surged to 60, almost doubling from 33 in 2022.

The report attributes this alarming situation to limited access to immunisation, disrupted supply chains, ongoing conflicts, and rampant misinformation concerning vaccines.

According to WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, "Vaccines are lifesavers, enabling individuals, families, communities, and nations to thrive." He pointed out that missed doses stemmed from drastic reductions in aid and the spread of vaccine safety misinformation.

Despite these challenges, global childhood vaccination coverage remained stable, with approximately 171,000 additional children receiving at least one vaccine compared to 2023, and one million more completing the full three-dose DTP series.

By 2024, 89 percent of infants worldwide—around 115 million—received at least one dose of the DTP vaccine, while 85 percent—or roughly 109 million—completed all three doses.

Measles coverage also saw improvements, with 84 percent of children receiving the first dose and 76 percent receiving the second dose, indicating a slight increase from the prior year.

An estimated 2 million additional children were vaccinated in 2024, yet the overall coverage remains significantly below the 95 percent threshold required to avert outbreaks.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell emphasized, "While we’ve succeeded in vaccinating more children, millions still lack protection against preventable diseases, which is a cause for concern for all of us." She urged governments to intensify efforts to overcome barriers such as dwindling health budgets, fragile health systems, misinformation, and access issues due to conflict. "No child should succumb to a preventable disease," she asserted.

The report raised alarms regarding declining national and global funding, increasing instability worldwide, and the proliferation of vaccine misinformation, which threaten to stall or even reverse the progress achieved over the past decades, risking higher rates of severe illness and fatalities from vaccine-preventable diseases.