UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations (UN) said on Tuesday that childhood vaccination rates have generally rebounded following a decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, concerns were raised regarding the lack of progress in smaller and economically disadvantaged nations.
It said that there was a decrease in the number of children missing one or more routine vaccinations in 2022, with 20.5 million affected, compared to 24.4 million the previous year. Nevertheless, this figure remained higher than the pre-pandemic level of 18.4 million recorded in 2019, according to VoA.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), expressed optimism about the overall improvement in vaccination rates. However, he emphasized that the global and regional statistics “disguise grave and persistent inequalities.”
Dr. Ghebreyesus underscored the consequences faced by children when countries and regions fall behind in their vaccination efforts, stating, “When countries and regions lag, children pay the price.”
During the pandemic, 73 countries witnessed significant declines in childhood vaccination rates, with 34 of them failing to make progress or experiencing further deterioration.
The trends observed for measles vaccination mirrored the broader global pattern. In 2022, 83% of children received their first dose of the measles vaccine within their first year of life, reflecting an improvement from 81% in 2021. However, this still fell short of the pre-pandemic achievement of 86%.
UN tries to address disparities
It is evident that despite the overall progress made in childhood vaccination rates, inequities persist, particularly in less developed countries. The United Nations and WHO are working diligently to address these disparities and ensure that all children have access to life-saving vaccines, regardless of their geographical location or socioeconomic status.
