These include vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus, measles and whooping cough. Compared to 2020, two million more children missed vaccinations last year. A year earlier, there had already been a drop of six million children, but it was hoped that this year, after the lockdowns of 2020, there would be a recovery. So that’s not the case.
Biggest setback in generation
UNICEF calls it the ‘biggest persistent drop in childhood vaccination in a generation’. The coverage ratio is now roughly what it was at the beginning of the 2000s, the organization says.
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The focus on corona vaccination campaigns in 2021 has not helped, according to UNICEF. The economic slowdown and the pressure on healthcare as a result of the pandemic are also seen as causes. As a result, the already declining funding ratio could deteriorate even further in 2021.
Measles in Africa
Vaccination rates fell in every region, the new figures show. For many diseases, more than 90 percent of children need to be vaccinated to prevent outbreaks. Increases in vaccine-preventable disease infections have already been reported in recent months, including a 400 percent increase in measles cases in Africa by 2022.
The figures were calculated using data from national health systems in 177 countries.
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