Childhood vaccination rates took a real hit during the pandemic. More than 25 million kids missed at least one vaccination in 2021 alone, and vaccination rates dropped in over 100 countries.
There’s been a push to get back on track. But a new report out this week from the World Health Organization and UNICEF shows progress has stalled – although there is a bit of good news too.
Here’s a look at the details.
There is one vaccine – DTP or the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine – that is used as the measure of how well a country does at routine childhood immunizations. In the U.S. 94% of kids get all three doses. Some countries get to 99%. The goal is to have 90% of kids vaccinated worldwide by 2030. But, the latest numbers show that, globally, the rate is stuck at 84%. There’s been no improvement from 2022 to 2023.