Covid pandemic fuels largest continued backslide in vaccinations

THE largest sustained decline in childhood vaccinations in about 30 years has been recorded in official data published last Friday by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).
According to the report, the percentage of children who received three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP3) – a marker for immunisation coverage within and across countries – fell five percentage points between 2019 and 2021 to 81 per cent.
As a result, 25 million children missed out on one or more doses of DTP through routine immunisation services in 2021 alone.
This was two million more than those who missed out in 2020 and six million more than in 2019, highlighting the growing number of children at risk from devastating but preventable diseases.
The decline was due to many factors including an increased number of children living in conflict and fragile settings where immunisation access was often challenging, increased misinformation and Coronavirus (Covid-19)-related issues such as service and supply chain disruptions, resource diversion to response efforts, and containment measures that limited immunisation service access and availability.
“This is a red alert for child health. We are witnessing the largest sustained drop in childhood immunisation in a generation. The consequences will be measured in lives,” Unicef executive director Catherine Russell said. “While a pandemic hangover was expected last year as a result of Covid-19 disruptions and lockdowns, what we are seeing now is a continued decline. Covid-19 is not an excuse.
“We need immunisation catch-ups for the missing millions or we will inevitably witness more outbreaks, more sick children and greater pressure on already strained health systems.” – WHO