Global vaccination rates for young children have remained steady throughout 2024, according to a joint statement released Tuesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.
Approximately 89% of infants worldwide received at least one dose of the Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTP) vaccine, with 85% completing the full three-dose series. This represents an increase of roughly 171,000 children receiving at least one dose and a million more completing the full DTP schedule compared to 2023 figures.
Despite this progress, nearly 20 million young children missed out on at least one dose of the DTP vaccine last year. This includes 14.3 million children who received no vaccination at all. This number exceeds the 2024 target outlined within the Immunization Agenda 2030 by four million.
“Vaccines save lives and enable individuals, families, communities, economies and nations to thrive” remarked WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He noted the increase in the number of vaccinated children as encouraging, while emphasizing that significant work remains to be done.