Global Infant Vaccination Challenges in 2024
Recent data from WHO and UNICEF reveals a worrying rise in the number of infants missing routine vaccinations worldwide. In 2024, over 14 million children did not receive any vaccines, an increase from 12.9 million in 2019. This figure is 4 million higher than the target set by the Immunization Agenda 2030. The report marks critical gaps in immunisation coverage, especially in conflict-affected and fragile regions.
Current Vaccination Coverage Status
In 2024, 89 per cent of infants received at least one dose of the DTP vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. However, only 85 per cent completed the full three-dose series. Approximately 20 million infants missed at least one dose of the DTP vaccine. Measles vaccine coverage for the first dose stood at 84 per cent globally. HPV vaccine coverage among girls rose slightly from 27 per cent in 2023 to 31 per cent in 2024. Yellow fever vaccine coverage in at-risk countries remains low at 50 per cent, far below the recommended 80 per cent threshold.
Geographical Concentration of Zero-Dose Infants
More than half of the unvaccinated infants live in nine countries – Nigeria, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Angola. India alone accounted for 909,000 unvaccinated infants in 2024, representing about 6 per cent of the global total. Despite this, India achieved 96 per cent vaccine coverage among 22.7 million infants, showing that high coverage rates can coexist with large absolute numbers of unvaccinated children.
Challenges Impacting Immunisation Efforts
Funding cuts in health aid have severely hampered vaccination programmes. Misinformation and vaccine hesitancy further complicate efforts to increase coverage. Conflict and social instability affect approximately 10.2 million unvaccinated or under-vaccinated infants, making them highly vulnerable to outbreaks. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has emphasised that vaccine misinformation and aid reductions threaten to reverse decades of progress.
Importance of Vaccines and Future Priorities
Vaccines save an estimated five million lives annually by preventing deadly diseases. Unvaccinated children face higher risks of severe illness and contribute to the spread of infections within communities. To address the crisis, WHO and UNICEF recommend targeted funding for countries with large zero-dose populations, improved vaccine delivery in fragile regions, stronger public messaging against misinformation, and investments in data and surveillance systems to optimise immunisation programmes.
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