Global Immunization Services Improved in 2022

Recent data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) points to rebounding immunization rates in certain countries. While progress has been made, challenges persist, highlighting the urgent need for concerted efforts to ensure global immunization recovery.

According to the latest WHO and UNICEF data, global immunization services witnessed a significant improvement in 2022. About 4 million more children received vaccines compared to the previous year, indicating a positive trajectory in immunization coverage. This development offers hope for millions of children who were at risk of missing out on life-saving vaccinations due to pandemic-related disruptions, according to WHO. 

Although the rebound in immunization services is encouraging, the number of unvaccinated children remains higher than before the pandemic. In 2019, before the pandemic, 18.4 million children missed out on crucial vaccinations. The pandemic only worsened the problem, heavily disrupting vaccine distribution and application programs. Furthermore, the recovery of immunization services has not been uniform across all countries. WHO and UNICEF reveal that improvement has been concentrated in a few countries, while many others continue to face challenges.

The recovery has been heterogeneous across the 73 countries that experienced significant declines in vaccination coverage during the pandemic. The data indicates that 15 countries have managed to restore their immunization rates to pre-pandemic levels, while 24 are on the path to recovery. However, 34 countries have either stagnated or continued to experience declining immunization rates. 

A worrisome problem is the slow recovery of measles vaccination rates. As a result, an additional 35.2 million children are now at risk of measles infection. Urgent action is required to address this gap and prevent potential measles outbreaks, which can have devastating consequences for public health.

Even before the pandemic, Mexico faced challenges in maintaining high vaccination rates. In 2019, measles coverage in the country decreased by 73%, while coverage for the bacillus Calmette-Guerin and hepatitis B vaccines declined by 56% during the same year. These figures are reflected in an increase in cases of whooping cough, mumps and measles in Mexico, underscoring the importance of sustained efforts to strengthen immunization programs, as reported by MBN. 

On a positive note, HPV vaccination coverage surpassed pre-pandemic levels for the first time globally. HPV vaccination programs were able to reach the same coverage in 2022 as in 2019. However, in 2019, coverage fell below the desired target of 90%. In 2022, mean coverages in HPV programs reached 67% in high-income countries and 55% in low and middle-income countries. Efforts must continue to bridge this gap and achieve optimal coverage rates.

Recognizing the urgent need for immunization recovery, multiple stakeholders have joined forces. This year, the WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other IA2030 partners launched “The Big Catch-Up,” a global communications and advocacy campaign. The initiative calls upon governments worldwide to prioritize catching up the children who missed vaccinations during the pandemic. By uniting their efforts, these organizations aim to expedite recovery in all regions and across various vaccine platforms.