Slight Gains Made in Global Childhood Vaccination Rates, Says New Report
WHO and UNICEF said 13.5 million children remained unvaccinated in 2025 as conflict, funding cuts and outbreaks slowed progress.
- On Wednesday, the World Health Organization and UNICEF released estimates showing 90% of infants globally received at least one DTP vaccine dose in 2025. Coverage remains one point below 2019 levels, though 110 million infants completed the full three-dose series.
- Although the number of unvaccinated children dropped to 13.5 million, the total remains nearly 4 million higher than needed to meet 2030 targets. More than half live in conflict-affected regions including Syria, Yemen, Sudan, and Palestine.
- Measles coverage stalled at 84% for the first dose and 77% for the second, falling far short of the 95% threshold required to prevent outbreaks. Consequently, 57 countries reported disruptive outbreaks as 7.3 million infants dropped out before receiving their measles vaccine.
- WHO immunization director Kate O'Brien warned of "real cracks in the system," while UNICEF global immunization chief Ephrem Lemango cautioned that gains "can be eroded very easily" amid funding cuts begun in early 2025.
- Agencies are working with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to deliver the global Immunization Agenda 2030, aiming to ensure vaccines reach everyone, everywhere, at every age despite geopolitical uncertainty and weak disease surveillance systems.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Global child immunization rates stall despite minor pandemic recovery
In 2025, 90% of infants globally – or nearly 116 million – received at least one dose of a diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine, and 85% – or 110 million – completed the full three-dose series, according to the annual WHO-UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC) released today.
Global childhood vaccination rates climb amid rising outbreaks and conflict
The global vaccination rate among children will have risen slightly in 2025 compared to previous years. UNICEF Netherlands announced this on Tuesday.
Childhood Vaccination Still Trails Pre-Pandemic Levels, WHO and UNICEF Say
Global childhood vaccination rates improved slightly in 2025 but remained below pre-pandemic levels as conflict, poverty, and vaccine hesitancy left millions of children without protection against preventable diseases, the World Health Organization and UNICEF said Wednesday.
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