1 in 10 Children Missed Life-Saving Vaccines in 2018
More than one in 10 children worldwide did not receive lifesaving vaccines for measles, diphtheria and tetanus in 2018, according to new data from WHO and UNICEF.
“While most children today are being vaccinated, far too many are left behind,” WHO Director-General TedrosAdhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, MSc, said in a press release. “Unacceptably, it’s often those who are most at risk — the poorest, the most marginalized, those touched by conflict or forced from their homes — who are persistently missed.”
Since 2010, vaccination coverage has stalled globally at approximately 86% for three doses of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis and one dose of the measles vaccine. To avoid outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, WHO stated that 95% coverage is needed across communities, countries and the globe.