The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) jointly released the latest estimates of immunization coverage rates around the world for 2021, which found that 25 million children missed basic vaccines — the largest continued backslide in vaccinations in three decades.

Of particular concern is that in 2021, 18 million children received no vaccinations ever. The number of these “zero-dose children” has not been this high since 2008. Zero-dose children account for nearly half of all vaccine-preventable deaths, and most of these children live in low- and middle-income countries.

Unsurprisingly, the number of outbreaks is already on the rise around the globe. Measles outbreaks have, in the first nine months of this year, infected more than 65,000 people and caused 367 deaths in Afghanistan alone, according to WHO. That is more than double the 156 measles deaths the country reported in all of 2021. In addition, polio has been detected in places where it has not been seen in decades, including the U.S. and the UK.

Immunizing millions of children is a daunting task, but I am confident that it is possible. There are many reasons that I remain hopeful.

  • There is a plan in place to address the problem.
  • Healthcare workers are determined to reach every child, everywhere.
  • Private sector partners are stepping up and allowing their customers to make a difference, too. The Get a Shot, Give a Shot® program provides millions of vaccines to children in need.
  • Technology and automation help us move faster.

Read the full article about child immunizations by Martha Rebour at United Nations Foundation.