More than 14 million children remained unvaccinated in 2024

More than 14 million children remain unvaccinated despite global vaccination coverage remaining stable, two UN agencies said Tuesday.

Data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) showed that around 115 million children received at least one dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine last year, or 171,000 more children than in 2023, while 109 million received all three doses.

“While the gains are modest, they signal continued progress by countries working to protect children, even amid growing challenges,” the WHO said in a statement.

Last year, 89% of babies worldwide received at least one dose of the DTP vaccine, and 85% completed all three doses last year. But despite the progress, the WHO warned that “there are almost 20 million children who did not receive a single dose of DTP vaccine last year, including 14.3 million children who have never received a single dose of any vaccine.”

“That’s four million more than the 2024 target needed to stay on track with the 2030 Immunization Agenda objectives and 1.4 million more than in 2019, the baseline year for measuring progress,” it added in the same note.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was "encouraging to see a continued increase in the number of children being vaccinated," but admitted there was still "much work to do."

"Sharp aid cuts, coupled with misinformation about vaccine safety, threaten to undo decades of progress. WHO remains committed to working with partners to help countries develop local solutions and increase domestic investment so that every child can benefit from the lifesaving power of vaccines," he added.

According to the report, data from 195 countries show that 131 have managed to vaccinate at least 90% of children with the first dose of DTP vaccine since 2019 , but there has been no significant movement in expanding this group.

However, in 47 countries, progress is stagnating or worsening, including 22 countries that met and exceeded the 90% target in 2019 but have since declined.

"The good news is that we've reached more children with life-saving vaccines. But millions of children remain unprotected against preventable diseases , and that should concern us all," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

"We must act now with determination to overcome barriers such as shrinking health budgets, fragile health systems, misinformation, and access restrictions due to conflict. No child should die from a disease we know how to prevent," he added.

The Director General of the Global Alliance for Vaccines (Gavi), Sania Nishtar, highlighted that, by 2024, “low-income countries will have protected more children than ever before, with coverage rates increasing across all Gavi-supported vaccines.”

"However, population growth, fragility, and conflict pose major obstacles to achieving equity, leaving the most vulnerable children and communities at risk. The continued commitment of governments and partners will be critical to saving lives and protecting the world from infectious disease threats," Nishtar said.