CARIBBEAN-WHO says more than a million children missed vaccines last yea

WASHINGTON, CMC – The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that while childhood immunization in the Americas, including the Caribbean, showed encouraging signs of recovery last year, significant gaps remain.

According to the new data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, over 1.4 million children did not receive a single dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccine, marking an increase in so-called “zero-dose” children.

The findings are part of the 2024 WHO and UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC), which show that while global childhood vaccination coverage has largely stabilised, nearly 20 million children worldwide missed at least one DTP vaccine dose, including 14.3 million zero-dose children.

In the Americas, the number of zero-dose children rose by 186,000 compared to the previous year, reaching 1,465,000.

“The Americas has shown a firm commitment to protecting its child population, but the gaps in vaccination coverage remind us that more must be done,” said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the regional office of WHO for the Americas.

“Vaccination remains one of the most effective tools to prevent diseases and save lives. We cannot allow any child to be left unprotected,” he added.

The WHO reported that immunization coverage in the Americas improved for several key antigens, including MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), with coverage of the first dose increasing from 86 to 88 percent and the second dose from 75 to 77 percent.

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV3) rose from 76 to 79 percent, while hepatitis B at birth increased from 64 to 68 percent, a key step toward hepatitis B elimination.

The WHO stated that the Americas have the highest coverage globally for the HPV vaccine, with 76 percent of girls under 15 years of age receiving at least one dose. However, it stated that more effort is needed to reach the target of at least 90 percent.

The WHO stated that despite these gains, DTP1 coverage in the Americas declined slightly from 90 percent in 2023 to 89 percent in 2024, reversing a positive trend and contributing to the increase in zero-dose children.

DTP3 coverage remained steady at 86 percent; however, nine of 35 countries and territories reported coverage below 80 percent, which raises the risk of disease outbreaks. Additionally, three countries reported dropout rates above 10 per cent between the first and third DTP doses.

The WHO report stated that these gaps reflect ongoing barriers to equitable access to immunization and retention, especially in marginalized and underserved communities.

PAHO said it is working closely with countries to strengthen national immunization programs through Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) Maturity Assessments, which have been completed for 12 countries over the last two and a half years and are already underway in Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and Bolivia.

PAHO is also supporting countries in targeting children who missed vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, with expected coverage increases of one to four percent in affected cohorts.

The UN health agency is recommending priority actions for Caribbean and other countries in the Americas, including identifying and reaching zero-dose children with locally tailored strategies, strengthening follow-up systems to reduce dropout rates, and ensuring adequate vaccine supply and accessibility.

In addition, it is urging countries to continue training health workers and engaging communities to counter vaccine hesitancy, noting that embedding immunization in strong primary healthcare can reduce missed opportunities.

“Member states must remain committed to strengthening immunization strategies through joint efforts so that the region can reclaim its historic leadership in vaccination and protect the health of present and future generations,” said Dr. Barbosa.