Global childhood immunisation coverage stalled in 2023, leaving 2.7 million additional children under-vaccinated compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to data published on Monday by the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Children’s Fund.

The latest WHO and UNICEF estimates of national immunisation coverage which provide the world’s largest and most comprehensive dataset on immunisation trends for vaccinations against 14 diseases – underscore the need for ongoing catch-up, recovery, and system-strengthening efforts.

“The latest trends demonstrate that many countries continue to miss far too many children.

“Closing the immunisation gap requires a global effort, with governments, partners, and local leaders investing in primary healthcare and community workers to ensure every child gets vaccinated, and that overall healthcare is strengthened,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.According to the findings, the number of children who received three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis in 2023 – a key marker for global immunization coverage – stalled at 84% (108 million).

However, the number of children who did not receive a single dose of the vaccine increased from 13.9 million in 2022 to 14.5 million in 2023.

More than half of unvaccinated children live in the 31 countries with fragile, conflict-affected, and vulnerable settings, where children are especially vulnerable to preventable diseases because of disruptions and lack of access to security, nutrition, and health services.Additionally, 6.5 million children did not complete their third dose of the DTP vaccine, which is necessary to achieve disease protection in infancy and early childhood.

These trends, which show that global immunisation coverage has remained largely unchanged since 2022 and – more alarmingly – has still not returned to 2019 levels, reflect ongoing challenges with disruptions in healthcare services, logistical challenges, vaccine hesitancy, and inequities in access to services.

The data further show that vaccination rates against the deadly measles disease stalled, leaving nearly 35 million children with no or only partial protection.