According to WHO and UNICEF, childhood vaccination coverage stalled globally in 2023, with 2.7 million more children un- and under-vaccinated compared to the pre-pandemic levels in 2019. About 6.5 million children failed to complete three doses of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine, an indicator of global vaccination coverage. This low vaccine coverage resulted in only 74% of children receiving two doses of the measles vaccine in 2013, while 95% coverage is required to avert outbreaks and reach measles elimination goals. Consequently, nearly 35 million children had no or only partial protection against measles.
After Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, India had the most children (1.6 million) who missed the measles vaccination in 2023. In addition, India was one of ten countries that accounted for 55% of children without measles vaccination globally. UNICEF has…
