One in five children worldwide have not received any vaccine or have not completed the necessary dose schedule to be fully immunized against preventable diseases. One in five children on the planet, for example, has not been vaccinated against measles, while seven out of eight girls eligible for vaccination against HPV have not received the dose, which protects against cervical cancer.
The data is from the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), which warns that the planet is experiencing the biggest continuous setback in child immunization in 30 years, fueled by the covid-19 pandemic, and calls for urgency in resuming global vaccine coverage. According to the entity, vaccines save about 4.4 million lives every year, an amount that could reach 5.8 million by 2030 if immunization targets are achieved.
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The report State of the World’s Children 2023: For every child, vaccination, released by Unicef, points out that 67 million children completely or partially missed the so-called routine immunization in the period between 2019 and 2021. The document also highlights overloaded health systems, lack of resources and changes in the perception of the importance of vaccines. It is estimated that vaccine coverage has fallen in 112 countries.
“The pandemic has also exacerbated existing inequalities. Children who are not receiving vaccines live in the poorest, most remote and vulnerable communities. In the poorest households, one in five children have not received any vaccine, while in the richest, only one in 20. The report also identified that unvaccinated children often live in communities that are difficult to access, such as rural areas or urban slums.”
To be considered immunized, the child needs to take all recommended doses of immunizer, including boosters, when necessary. In the case of DTP, the regimen consists of three doses, at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months. To resume vaccine coverage, Unicef considers it vital to strengthen primary care and provide resources and support to frontline health workers.
“The global report finds that women are at the forefront of vaccine distribution but receive low wages; have informal jobs; and they face a lack of formal training, career opportunities, as well as threats to their safety”, highlighted the entity, when demanding that countries urgently identify and reach all children, especially those who missed vaccination during the covid-19 pandemic.
Unicef also asks governments around the world to strengthen the demand for vaccines, building confidence among the population; prioritize funding for immunization and primary health care services; and strengthen their health systems, including investing in and valuing health professionals.
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