UNICEF reveals that vaccine hesitancy and zero-dose childhood immunization have all increased in countries around the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shockingly, over the course of three years, approximately 67 million children missed out on receiving one or more vaccinations due to strained health systems, scarce resources, conflict, and decreased trust.
The concerning report warns that vaccination coverage has declined in 112 countries.
Additionally, children who were born just before or during the pandemic have already surpassed the age for routine vaccinations, emphasizing the need for prompt action to catch up and prevent the outbreak of fatal diseases.
Declining Childhood Immunization Due To Vaccine Hesitancy
According to Axios, The Vaccine Confidence Project's latest data, released by UNICEF, shows that only India, Mexico, and China maintained or increased their perception of vaccines' importance among the countries studied.
The State of the World's Children 2023: For Every Child, Vaccination report further reveals a decline of over a third in the perception of vaccines' significance for children in countries such as Ghana, Papua New Guinea, Senegal, Japan, and the Republic of Korea after the pandemic's onset.
Despite this, the report highlights that support for vaccines remains strong in most countries.
According to the findings of a survey conducted in 55 countries, over 80% of the respondents in almost half of the countries recognized the significance of vaccines for children.
However, the report also cautions that various factors, such as misinformation, declining trust in expertise, political polarization, and uncertainty around the pandemic response, could contribute to a growing threat of vaccine hesitancy.
The report's findings are particularly alarming because childhood immunization has experienced its most significant decline in three decades due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic caused disruptions in childhood vaccination programs worldwide due to the burden on health systems, the diversion of resources to COVID-19 vaccination, health worker shortages, and stay-at-home orders.
Addressing vaccine hesitancy and prioritizing childhood immunization is vital to prevent the spread of deadly diseases.
Childhood Vaccination in Africa and Zero Doses Countries
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly devastating for the poorest and most marginalized communities, where children often lack access to basic healthcare services, including vaccination.
Sadly, the pandemic has only exacerbated existing inequalities, leaving millions of children vulnerable to deadly diseases.
According to the Associated Press, based on the new UNICEF report, nearly 13 million African children missed out on one or more vaccinations between 2019 and 2021 due to pandemic-related disruptions, creating a significant child survival crisis.
Africa has the highest number of unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children globally, with 12.7 million missing out on vaccinations and 8.7 million not receiving any vaccines during this period.
The report also highlights that of the 67 million children who missed out on routine vaccination over the same period, a staggering 48 million received no vaccines at all.
This group is referred to as "zero-dose" children. While India and Nigeria had the highest numbers of zero-dose children as of 2021, there were notable increases in the Philippines and Myanmar.
It is disheartening to see that, despite significant progress in expanding access to vaccines globally, millions of children still lack basic immunization services.
Urgent action is needed to ensure that all children, regardless of their socioeconomic status or geographic location, can receive life-saving vaccines.
With that, UNICEF is making a call to governments to take urgent action in identifying and reaching all children, particularly those who missed out on vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organization emphasizes the importance of strengthening the demand for vaccines by building public confidence in their safety and effectiveness.
UNICEF also encourages the prioritization of funding for immunization services and primary healthcare to ensure that children receive their necessary vaccinations.
Furthermore, investing in female health workers, innovation, and local manufacturing can help build resilient health systems, which are crucial in times of crisis.
