A new global immunisation coverage report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that approximately 20 million infants missed at least one dose of a DTP-containing vaccine in 2024.

Among them were 14.3 million “zero-dose” children—those who did not receive a single vaccine dose.

The report highlights that this figure is 4 million higher than the 2024 target needed to stay on track with the Immunization Agenda 2030 goals, and 1.4 million more than in 2019, the baseline year for measuring progress.

Despite challenges, progress was recorded. About 115 million infants—89% globally—received at least one dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccine, while 85% (approximately 109 million) completed all three doses. Compared to 2023, 171,000 more children received at least one dose, and one million more completed the full three-dose series.

Data from 195 countries revealed that 131 countries have consistently achieved at least 90% DTP1 coverage since 2019. However, only 17 of the remaining countries have improved their rates in the past five years, while 47 have seen stalled or declining progress. This includes 22 countries that had previously surpassed the 90% threshold in 2019.

The report also pointed to the impact of conflict and humanitarian crises, noting that although one-quarter of the world’s infants live in 26 fragile or crisis-affected countries, they account for half of all unvaccinated children. In these countries, the number of unvaccinated children rose from 3.6 million in 2019 to 5.4 million in 2024.

Encouragingly, low-income countries supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, reduced the number of under-vaccinated children by around 650,000 in the past year. Coverage against measles also improved slightly, with 84% receiving the first dose and 76% receiving the second.

However, these rates remain below the 95% threshold needed to prevent outbreaks. As a result, over 30 million children remain under-protected, and the number of countries reporting large or disruptive measles outbreaks nearly doubled—from 33 in 2022 to 60 in 2024.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the progress was promising but warned that funding cuts and misinformation continue to threaten vaccine uptake.

“Vaccines save lives and allow societies and economies to flourish,” he said. He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to help countries develop local solutions and increase domestic investment to reach every child.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell emphasized that no child should die from a preventable disease. “We must act with urgency to overcome barriers such as shrinking health budgets, misinformation, and access constraints caused by conflict,” she said.

Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, noted that 2024 marked a milestone for low-income countries in protecting more children than ever. However, she warned that challenges such as population growth, fragility, and conflict threaten equitable vaccine access.

The WHO and UNICEF have called on governments and partners to close the funding gap for Gavi’s 2026–2030 strategic cycle, strengthen immunization in conflict-affected settings to reach zero-dose children, tackle misinformation and increase vaccine uptake through evidence-based strategies.

They stressed that sustained commitment is crucial to safeguarding millions of children and ensuring global health security.