Last year, some 25 million children worldwide missed vaccines that protect against life-threatening diseases. This is evident from figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Unicef published Friday. That is 2 million more children than in 2020 and six million more than in 2019.
It is the largest drop in childhood vaccination rates in about 30 years, according to UNICEF. “This is alarm phase red for children’s health. We are witnessing the largest sustained decline in a generation.” Unicef know in a press release. Coverage ratios are back at levels not seen since the early 2000s.
According to the UN children’s organization, the cause of the drop in vaccinations is the focus that was on the Covid-19 vaccination campaigns in 2021. But the pressure on health care and the deteriorating economy also played a part. As a result, the routine vaccinations recovered less quickly, which meant that the situation could deteriorate in 2021.
“The impact will be measured in lifetimes,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF executive director. “While a pandemic hangover was expected last year due to Covid-19 disruptions and lockdowns, we are now seeing a continued decline. Covid-19 is no excuse.”
Vaccination rates declined in every region, according to the figures, which are based on data on vaccinations against tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough and measles, among others. For many of these diseases, more than 90 percent of children must be vaccinated to prevent outbreaks. The figures were calculated using data from national health systems in 177 countries.
Increases in the number of infections with vaccine-preventable diseases have already been reported in recent months. In Africa, for example, there has been a 400 percent increase in measles cases this year.