Reacción a "Global childhood vaccination coverage increased slightly in 2024, but pre-pandemic levels were not restored"

The annual WHO and UNICEF report on global vaccination coverage in children offers some glimmer of hope after several years of darkness and bad news, caused mainly by disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to 2023, global vaccination coverage indicators have improved modestly, with fewer children globally receiving no vaccines (‘zero doses’) and some modest improvement in global coverage for the main vaccines routinely administered in early childhood.

However, progress is modest and largely does not demonstrate a recovery to pre-pandemic levels. It is precisely the poorest countries that are showing the fewest signs of recovery and are still furthest from regaining pre-pandemic vaccination coverage, a further sign of the significant health inequalities that exist. Add to this the fact that population growth in these countries is faster than in the rest of the world, and we should be concerned about the growing number of children who will be born and exposed to the risk of not receiving vaccines that could protect them against potentially fatal diseases. At this time of significant uncertainty regarding international development aid, and when multilateral organisations such as Gavi are seeing their funding and sustainability threatened, it is important to redouble our efforts to highlight that their work saves lives, and that countries that continue to receive special support from Gavi are improving their vaccination coverage indicators, leaving their children better protected by the vaccines they receive. Without a concerted effort to secure funding for the vaccination of all children born today in the poorest countries, including those in conflict, we risk losing decades of progress achieved through many years of collective effort.