By 2018, 20 million children will not have access to measles, diphtheria and tetanus vaccines that save lives

According to new data from WHO and UNICEF, 20 million children worldwide, or more than one in ten, have not been vaccinated to save lives like measles, diphtheria and tetanus.
Globally, since 2010, immunization coverage with three doses of diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough (DTP3) and one dose of measles vaccine has stagnated around 86 %. Although high, this is not enough. 95% coverage is needed – globally, in countries and communities – to protect against outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.

"Vaccines are one of our most important tools for preventing epidemics and ensuring the safety of the world," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization. "While most children are vaccinated, too many are left behind. Unacceptably, it is often the people most at risk – the poorest, the most marginalized, those affected by conflict or forced to leave their homes – who are missing forever. "

Most unvaccinated children live in the poorest countries and disproportionately live in fragile or conflict-affected states. Nearly half are in only 16 countries: Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Haiti, Iraq, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen..

If these children fall ill, they risk the most serious health consequences and are less likely to have access to life-saving treatment and care.

Measles outbreaks reveal deep gaps in coverage, often over several years

Marked disparities in vaccine access persist between countries and at all income levels. This has resulted in devastating measles outbreaks in many parts of the world, including in countries where vaccination rates are globally high.

In 2018, nearly 350,000 cases of measles were reported worldwide, more than double those of 2017.

"Measles is a real-time indicator of the task ahead to fight preventable diseases," said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF's Executive Director. "Because measles is so contagious, an epidemic means that communities do not benefit from vaccines because of their access, cost or, in some cases, sufficiency. We must exhaust all efforts to vaccinate all children. "

Ukraine is at the top of the list of countries with the highest measles incidence rate reported in 2018. While the country has successfully vaccinated more than 90% of its infants, coverage is low. for several years, leaving a large number of children and older adults. at risk.

Several other countries with high incidence and coverage have large groups of people who have missed measles vaccine in the past. This shows how low coverage over time or distinct communities of unvaccinated people can lead to life-threatening epidemics.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage data available for the first time

For the first time, there is also data on coverage of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which protects girls against cervical cancer later in life. In 2018, 90 countries – where one out of every three girls in the world live – had introduced the HPV vaccine into their national programs. Only 13 of them are low income countries. This leaves those most exposed to the devastating effects of cervical cancer even less likely to have access to the vaccine.

In collaboration with partners such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Measles and Rubella Initiative, WHO and UNICEF are helping countries strengthen their immunization systems and response to epidemics, including by vaccinating all children with routine immunization, conducting emergency campaigns, training and equipping health personnel. as an essential element of the quality of primary health care.

About the data

Since 2000, WHO and UNICEF have jointly produced annual estimates of national immunization coverage for Member States. In addition to producing vaccine coverage estimates for 2018, the WHO and UNICEF estimation process revises the entire historical data series on immunization with the United States. latest information available. The 2018 revision covers coverage estimates over 39 years, from 1980 to 2018. The coverage of DTP3 is used as an indicator to assess the proportion of children vaccinated and is calculated for children under one year of age. . The estimated number of vaccinated children is calculated using demographic data provided by the UN World Population Prospects (WPP) of 2019.