UN says 14 million children did not receive a single vaccine last year
Nearly 15 million children went unvaccinated in 2024, says the UN
- UN health officials have warned that 14 million children worldwide did not receive any vaccinations last year, a figure consistent with the previous year, with nine countries accounting for over half of these unprotected children.
- The World Health Organisation and UNICEF reported stable DTP vaccine coverage, but cautioned that a potential collapse in international aid this year threatens to reverse progress.
- Significant setbacks are attributed to US policy shifts, including President Trump's withdrawal from the WHO and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to pull billions from Gavi, the vaccines alliance.
- Experts highlighted that unequal vaccine access, ongoing conflicts, and widespread misinformation are unwinding decades of progress, with Sudan reporting the lowest DTP coverage.
- Global measles vaccine coverage remains below the 95 per cent needed to prevent outbreaks, leading to major surges in cases across Europe and the US, and a recent child death in the UK.