UN Warns: Aid Cuts and Misinformation Threaten Global Child Vaccination Progress
Stabilization After COVID Decline, But Gaps Remain
Global infant vaccination rates have stabilized following significant declines during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a United Nations report released Tuesday. However, officials warn that misinformation campaigns and drastic reductions in international aid are creating dangerous gaps in immunization coverage, potentially putting millions of children at risk.
Key Statistics Show Modest Recovery
The report from UN health and children’s agencies reveals that in 2024, approximately 85% of infants worldwide (109 million children) received three doses of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine—a key indicator for global immunization coverage. This represents a one percentage point increase from 2023, with one million additional children vaccinated.
Despite these gains, nearly 20 million infants missed at least one DTP dose last year, including 14.3 million “zero-dose” children who received no vaccinations whatsoever. While this shows slight improvement from 14.5 million zero-dose children in 2023, it remains 1.4 million higher than pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
“The good news is that we have managed to reach more children with life-saving vaccines,” said UNICEF chief Catherine Russell. “But millions of children remain without protection against preventable diseases. That should worry us all.”
Global Targets at Risk
The World Health Organization (WHO) cautioned that current trends put the world “off track” to meet its 2030 goal of ensuring 90% coverage for essential childhood vaccines. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the dual threat: “Drastic cuts in aid, coupled with misinformation about vaccine safety, threaten to unwind decades of progress.”
Funding Cuts Compound Challenges
The report highlights how reduced international aid—particularly from the United States—has hampered outbreak response capabilities. Ephrem Lemango, UNICEF’s immunization chief, stated: “Our ability to respond to outbreaks in nearly 50 countries has been disrupted due to funding cuts.”
Misinformation Fuels Immunity Gaps
Beyond access issues, health agencies identified vaccine misinformation as a growing concern. Dr. Kate O’Brien, WHO’s vaccine chief, noted that declining trust in vaccine safety evidence contributes to dangerous immunity gaps and disease outbreaks.
The report specifically referenced troubling trends in the United States, where measles outbreaks have reached 30-year highs amid anti-vaccine rhetoric. In 2024, 60 countries experienced disruptive measles outbreaks—nearly double the 33 reported in 2022.
Mixed Progress Across Income Levels
While 57 low-income countries supported by vaccine alliance Gavi showed coverage improvements, the report found concerning “signs of slippage” in upper-middle and high-income nations where rates previously exceeded 90%.
“Even the smallest drops in immunization coverage can have devastating consequences,” warned Dr. O’Brien.
The UN’s findings underscore the fragile state of global immunization efforts as health systems continue recovering from pandemic disruptions while facing new political and social challenges.
Source: The Guardian Nigeria