Increased Conflicts Hinder Vaccination Efforts
A rise in global conflicts has severely impacted vaccination drives for diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough. As a result, more children missed out on critical vaccines last year, according to the United Nations.
Missed Vaccinations on the Rise
The UN reports that 14.5 million children worldwide did not receive vaccinations in 2023, up from 13.9 million in the previous year. However, this number is lower than during the COVID-19 pandemic, when 18 million children missed their shots. Additionally, 6.5 million children received only a single dose, leaving them without full protection.
DTP Vaccine Coverage Insufficient
The estimates focus on the DTP vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough. In 2023, 84% of infants globally received their full course, which is below the necessary level to prevent disease outbreaks.
Conflict Zones See Significant Declines
Countries affected by war saw the largest drops in vaccination coverage. Sudan, ravaged by 15 months of civil war, saw its coverage fall from 75% in 2022 to 57% in 2023. This left nearly 701,000 children in Sudan without protection against deadly diseases like measles and diphtheria.
Measles Vaccination Stalls
Globally, measles vaccination rates have stalled. In 2023, only 83% of children received their first dose of the measles vaccine, while 74% received their second dose, a modest increase from the previous year. To prevent measles outbreaks, a 95% vaccination rate is necessary.
Increased Unvaccinated Children in Conflict Areas
In the occupied Palestinian territories, the number of unvaccinated children rose to 17,000 in the first nine months of 2023, compared to 1,000 in 2021. Sudan, Yemen, and Afghanistan joined the list of the 20 countries with the highest number of unvaccinated, or “zero-dose,” children in 2023.
Majority of Unvaccinated in Fragile Settings
UNICEF notes that more than half of the world’s unvaccinated children live in countries with fragile, conflict-affected, or vulnerable settings, although these nations only represent 28% of the global birth cohort.
Some Positive Developments
Despite the challenges, the UN report highlighted some positives. There were around 600,000 fewer zero-dose children in the African region in 2023 compared to 2022. Additionally, global coverage of the HPV vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer, improved. Ukraine also saw an improvement in vaccination rates despite its ongoing conflict with Russia.
