UNICEF / CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATION RECOVERY

STORY: UNICEF / IMMUNIZATION BACKSLIDE
TRT: 01:59
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT UNICEF ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: NATS

DATELINE: FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE - 30 MAY 2023, MADANI, SUDAN

1. Close up, filling out vaccination paperwork
2. Med shot, mother with child
3. Med shot, mother and child with vaccination paperwork
4. Close up, child receiving vaccination
5. Close up, vaccine bottle

FILE - 9-11 JUNE 2023, DOLISIE DISTRICT, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

6. Wide shot, national polio vaccination campaign for children aged 0 to 5
7. Wide shot, child marked for receipt of polio vaccine
8. Close up, child receiving polio vaccine

FILE - APRIL 2023, QUELIMANE, ZAMBEZIA PROVINCE, MOZAMBIQUE

9. Wide shot, health worker managing vaccination records
10. Med shot, health worker administering vaccine to child
11. Med shot, health worker administering vaccine to child
12. Med shot, health worker administering vaccine to child

FILE - OCTOBER 2022, NORTH AND SOUTH TARAWA, KIRIBATI

13. Wide shot, mothers bringing babies to get rotavirus vaccines at a local health clinic
14. Med shot, Kiribati public health nurse, Kakoroa, prepping for vaccinations

FILE - 22 MARCH 2023, BABA ALI CLINIC, JAWZJAN PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

15. Close up, vials of vaccines
16. Med shot, vaccines in cold storage
17. Close up, vial of vaccine
18. Med shot, child receiving vaccine

FILE - 25 MARCH 2022, SAN MARCOS, GUATEMALA

19. Med shot, health worker preparing vaccine from cold storage
20. Med shot, health worker administering vaccine to child

STORYLINE:

Global immunization services reached 4 million more children in 2022 compared to the previous year, as countries stepped up efforts to address the historic backsliding in immunization caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to data published today (17 Jul) by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, in 2022, 20.5 million children missed out on one or more vaccines delivered through routine immunization services, compared to 24.4 million children in 2021. In spite of this improvement, the number remains higher than the 18.4 million children who missed out in 2019 before pandemic-related disruptions, underscoring the need for ongoing catch-up, recovery and system strengthening efforts.

The vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) is used as the global marker for immunization coverage. Of the 20.5 million children who missed out on one or more doses of their DTP vaccines in 2022, 14.3 million did not receive a single dose, so-called zero-dose children. The figure represents an improvement from the 18.1 million zero-dose children in 2021 but remains higher than the 12.9 million children in 2019.

The early stages of recovery in global immunization have not occurred equally, with the improvement concentrated in a few countries. Progress in well-resourced countries with large infant populations, such as India and Indonesia, masks slower recovery or even continued declines in most low-income countries, especially for measles vaccination.

Of the 73 countries that recorded substantial declines* in coverage during the pandemic, 15 recovered to pre-pandemic levels, 24 are on route to recovery and, most concerningly, 34 have stagnated or continued declining. These concerning trends echo patterns seen in other health metrics. Countries must ensure they are accelerating catch-up, recovery, and strengthening efforts, to reach every child with the vaccines they need and - because routine immunization is a fundamental pillar of primary healthcare - take the opportunity to make progress in other, related health sectors.

Vaccination against measles - one of the most infectious pathogens - has not recovered as well as other vaccines, putting an additional 35.2 million children at risk of measles infection.