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As countries continue to strengthen their efforts to overcome the historic backlog of vaccinations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the world’s vaccination coverage will reach 4 million more children in 2022 compared to last year.
According to data published today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, by 2022, 20.5 million children will miss one or more vaccinations provided in routine immunization services.
The vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) serves as the international marker for vaccination coverage. In the year Of the 20.5 million children who missed one or more DTP vaccinations in 2022, 14.3 million did not receive a single dose, so-called zero-dose children. The figure represents an improvement from 18.1 million zero dose children in 2021, but up from 12.9 million children in 2019.
“These data are encouraging, and a tribute to those who have worked so hard to restore life-saving vaccination coverage after two years of continuous declines in immunization coverage,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Theodore Adhanom Ghebreyesus. But global and regional averages don’t tell the whole story and mask serious and persistent injustices. When countries and regions delay, children pay the price,” he said.
Globally, the initial recovery levels of vaccination have not occurred equally, the improvement is concentrated in a few countries. Growth in well-resourced countries with large infant populations, such as India and Indonesia, has offset slower recovery or reduced vaccination coverage in most low-income countries, particularly measles.
Of the 73 countries that reported significant declines* in coverage during the pandemic, 15 have recovered to pre-pandemic levels, 24 are on the way to recovery and, most importantly, 34 have frozen or are declining. These trends echo patterns seen in other health metrics. To reach every child with the vaccinations they need, countries must ensure that monitoring, recovery and consolidation efforts are accelerated and – since routine immunization is a cornerstone of primary health care – take the opportunity to make progress in other related health areas.
Measles vaccine – a highly contagious pathogen – has not recovered as well as other vaccines, putting an additional 35.2 million children at risk of contracting measles. First Dose Measles Coverage It increased from 81 percent in 2022 to 83 percent in 2022, but remained lower than 86 percent in 2019. As a result, last year 21.9 million children missed a routine measles vaccination in their first year of life, and more than 2.7 million children did not receive an additional vaccine in 2013 – and a further 3 million children did not receive an additional vaccine in 2013. Epidemics.
“Underneath the positive trend lies a serious caveat,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Until many countries address gaps in routine immunization coverage, children everywhere will remain at risk of contracting and dying from preventable diseases.” Viruses like measles know no borders. Efforts must be urgently intensified to catch children who have missed vaccinations by restoring and further improving immunization coverage from pre-pandemic levels.
In the years before the outbreak, countries with stable and sustained coverage were better able to stabilize immunization coverage, the data showed. For example, South Asia, which reported a gradual and sustained increase in coverage in the decade before the epidemic, has shown a faster and stronger recovery than regions that experienced long-term decline, such as Latin America and the Caribbean. The African region, which has lagged behind in its recovery, faces an additional challenge. With increasing numbers of children, countries must increase routine immunization services each year to maintain coverage levels.
DTP3 vaccination coverage in 57 GAVI-supported low-income countries Increased to 81 percent by 2022 – an increase from 78 percent in 2021 – The number of zero-dose children receiving no basic vaccinations has decreased by 2 million in these countries. However, the increase in DTP3 coverage in GAVI implementation countries is concentrated in lower-middle income countries, while low-income countries have not yet increased coverage, indicating that work remains to rebuild the most vulnerable health systems.
Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, said: “It is incredibly reassuring to see such a strong recovery in routine vaccinations in Gavi-supported countries, especially in reducing the number of children who have had zero doses, after the severe disruption caused by the pandemic.” Lower middle income countries outperform the rest.
For the first time, HPV vaccine coverage has surpassed pre-epidemic levels. Prior to the epidemic, HPV vaccination programs began in In 2022, they reached the same number of women as in 2019. But in the year Coverage was below 90% in 2019, and this remains true in 2022. The newly launched HPV Revitalization, led by the Gavi Alliance, aims to strengthen existing program offerings and facilitate additional enrollments.
Many stakeholders are working to accelerate recovery in all regions and all vaccine arenas. Earlier in 2023, the World Health Organization and UNICEF, along with the Gavi, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other IA2030 partners, have started work.The big catch-upInternational communication and advocacy efforts to catch children who were unvaccinated during the outbreak, restore immunization services to pre-pandemic levels, and strengthen them.
- Redouble their commitment to increase funding for immunization and partner with stakeholders to unlock available resources, including Covid-19 funds, to quickly restore disrupted and disrupted services and implement follow-up efforts;
- Enact a new policy to provide access to immunizations for children born before or during the outbreak and past the age of routine immunization;
- Strengthen immunization and primary health care services – including community health systems – and address systemic immunization challenges to address long-term delays in immunization and reach the most marginalized children; And
- Promote and maintain vaccine trust and acceptance in partnership with communities and health providers.
Note to editors:
* Considered a significant decline of 5 percent or more in 2020 and/or 2021 compared to 2019. Small fluctuations in coverage were not unusual before the outbreak.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTP3 cover | 86% | 83% | 81% | 84% |
| Number of unvaccinated children | 18.4 million | 22.3 m | 24.5 m | 20.5 m |
| DTP1 cover | 90% | 88% | 86% | 89% |
| The number of ‘zero dose’ children | 12.9 m | 16.1 m | 18.1 m | 14.3 m |
The data indicate how many children reached the target age group for routine immunization in 2022. It is not set up to catch those missed during the epidemic, as many of these children will have ‘aged out’ of the local vaccination service. However, some holdings may be recorded as “regular” services and reflected in the data.
WHO and UNICEF, together with GAVI, the Immunization Alliance and other partners, are working to deliver the International Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030), a strategy for all countries and relevant international partners to achieve the goals of immunization and immunization for everyone, everywhere, at all ages.
In response to the 2022 WUENIC information, IA2030 issued a joint statement, which can be found over here.
About the information
The World Health Organization and UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC), based on nationally reported data, provides the largest and most comprehensive data worldwide on vaccination trends for 13 diseases delivered by the regular health system – typically through clinics, community centers, outreach services or health worker visits. Data for 2022 is provided from 183 countries.
About WHO
Committed to the well-being of all people and guided by science, the World Health Organization leads and promotes global efforts to give everyone an equal opportunity to live a safe and healthy life. We are a United Nations health agency that supports countries, partners and people on the front lines in 150+ locations – leading global health emergency responses, preventing disease, addressing the root causes of health issues and expanding access to medicines and health services. Our mission is to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s most difficult places to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. In more than 190 countries and territories, we work everywhere to build a better world for every child.
For more information about UNICEF and its work, visit: www.unicef.org
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