Global Child Vaccination Rates Stagnate: 2025 WHO-UNICEF Report

Global vaccination coverage remains stalled at pre-pandemic levels, with 13.5 million infants—often referred to as "zero-dose" children—missing out on essential immunizations in 2025. While 85% of infants globally completed the three-dose diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) series, progress has plateaued since 2009, leaving millions vulnerable to preventable diseases like measles, according to the latest WHO-UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC).

Global Immunization Trends and Stagnation

Despite minor improvements, the global vaccination landscape is largely unchanged from previous years. Data from 195 countries indicate that while 100 nations have maintained at least 90% coverage for the three-dose DTP series since 2019, 65 countries are currently stagnating or experiencing declines.

Regional recovery varies significantly. According to the World Health Organization, the Americas and South-East Asia have surpassed their 2019 immunization baselines. Conversely, the Western Pacific region remains the furthest behind its pre-pandemic performance. In Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Europe, coverage is trending upward but has yet to reach the levels recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Challenge of "Zero-Dose" Children and Dropouts

A significant barrier to global health security is the "zero-dose" population—children who receive no routine vaccinations during their first year of life. More than half of these children reside in fragile, conflict-affected, or vulnerable (FCV) settings, even though these areas account for only one-third of the global child population.

Beyond initial access, completion rates present a secondary crisis. Approximately 7.3 million infants received their first DTP dose but failed to receive their first measles dose. This dropout rate is a primary driver behind the 57 countries that reported large or disruptive measles outbreaks in 2025. While global coverage for the first dose of the measles vaccine (MCV1) sits at 84% and the second dose (MCV2) at 77%, both figures remain well below the 95% threshold required to prevent outbreaks of this highly contagious virus.

Policy Shifts and Funding Constraints

The stability of immunization programs is increasingly threatened by shifting political commitments and funding instability. In some middle- and high-income nations, coverage is slipping due to structural challenges and rising vaccine hesitancy. For instance, South Africa has seen DTP1 coverage drop by 20 percentage points since 2019, while Bosnia and Herzegovina reported a 23-point decline in MCV1 coverage over the past year.

The Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance notes that while lower-income countries have achieved historic levels of coverage through collaborative efforts, future progress is at risk. Funding constraints and geopolitical uncertainty are straining the very data systems required to track immunization progress. The number of national immunization surveys submitted to the WHO and UNICEF fell to 18 in the most recent reporting round, down from an average of 33 per year between 2015 and 2019.

Recommended Steps for Immunization Recovery

To address these gaps, the WHO and UNICEF have outlined a strategic framework for governments and health partners. The primary recommendations include:

• Prioritizing FCV settings: Strengthening immunization services in conflict and fragile settings to reach and retain children.
• Combating misinformation: Actively countering false and misleading health information to build public trust and increase vaccine uptake.
• Sustaining investment: Increasing both domestic and global funding to support immunization programs and partnerships, including Gavi.
• Improving surveillance: Investing in stronger data and disease surveillance systems to drive and guide high-impact immunization programme strengthening efforts.

Achieving the goals of the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) depends on reaching children who currently lack access to basic health services. As noted by global health leaders, the ability to prevent disease through immunization remains one of the most cost-effective and equitable interventions for protecting child health worldwide.