Global Childhood Immunization Rates Have Stalled, Data Show

CNN (7/14, Davis) reports that experts say the COVID-19 pandemic was “marked by a significant and concerning drop in the rate of routine vaccinations,” and “new data from the World Health Organization and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund” show “the world has yet to recover.” The new report “analyzed estimates from 185 countries and used a third dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP3) vaccine — which is recommended for 1-year-olds — as the global marker for immunization coverage.” The report showed “that previous progress in reaching pre-pandemic immunization levels has stalled,” with the data indicating that “worldwide DTP3 coverage was 84% in 2023, the same as in 2022 but below 86% recorded in 2019.”