Daijiworld Media Network - Geneva

Geneva, Jul 15: More than 14 million children worldwide missed routine vaccinations in 2024, matching the previous year's figures, according to a report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF on Tuesday. The agencies warned that collapsing international aid and a growing tide of vaccine misinformation are threatening decades of progress in global child health.

Of the total, nine countries — including Nigeria, India, Sudan, Congo, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Angola — accounted for over half of the unvaccinated children.

The report noted that global immunization coverage for key vaccines such as diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (DTaP) remained largely stagnant. About 89% of infants under one year received the first dose of the DTaP vaccine, with 85% completing the full three-dose course — a marginal increase from the previous year.

However, WHO officials expressed concern over declining financial and political support for vaccination initiatives. In January, US President Donald Trump officially withdrew the United States from the WHO, froze most humanitarian aid, and began shuttering the US Agency for International Development (USAID). This was followed by a controversial decision from US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who pulled billions in pledged support from global vaccine alliance Gavi, accusing the group of ‘ignoring the science.’

Kennedy, a known vaccine skeptic, has previously raised doubts about vaccines like DTaP, despite overwhelming evidence of their safety and effectiveness. According to WHO, immunizations prevent between 3.5 million and 5 million deaths every year.
"Drastic cuts in aid, coupled with misinformation about the safety of vaccines, threaten to unwind decades of progress," warned WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Conflict zones continue to suffer the worst setbacks. Sudan reported the lowest coverage for DTaP, driven by ongoing civil unrest and humanitarian collapse. WHO and UNICEF said global measles vaccine coverage showed a slight improvement, with 76% of children receiving both doses. However, that figure still falls far below the 95% threshold required to prevent outbreaks of the highly contagious disease.

Measles has seen a dramatic resurgence globally. In 2024 alone, 60 countries reported major outbreaks. Europe recorded more than 125,000 cases — double the number from the previous year — while the US experienced its worst measles crisis in over three decades.

The United Kingdom also reported rising infections, including the tragic death of a child from measles in Liverpool last week. British health experts say only 84% of children in the UK are currently vaccinated against the virus.

“It is hugely concerning, but not at all surprising, that we are continuing to see outbreaks of measles,” said Professor Helen Bradford of University College London. “The only way to stop measles spreading is with vaccination. It is never too late to be vaccinated — even as an adult.”