Global childhood immunization lags behind 2024 goals, with half of unvaccinated kids living in conflict zones and 30 million still vulnerable to deadly disease outbreaks.
United States: According to new data issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, more than 14 million children worldwide have not been administered at least one dose of any vaccine.
It is 4 million children above what is intended in the 2024 goal of WHO and 1.4 million children above the 2019, which is the base year when gauging progress.
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Altogether, 50 percent of the world’s unvaccinated children reside in 26 countries affected by conflict, fragility, or humanitarian crisis, the global health agency estimated, adding that 25 percent of all infants in the world in fact are in these countries.
According to Dr. Kate O’Brien, who is the director of the WHO’s Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, “Stalling of vaccine coverage, even the smallest drops in immunization coverage as measured at the country level, can have devastating consequences,” ABC News reported.
Global childhood vaccination coverage holds steady, yet over 14 million infants remain unvaccinated – @WHO @UNICEF
— United Nations Geneva (@UNGeneva) July 16, 2025
That’s 4 million more than the 2024 target needed to stay on track with Immunization #Agenda2030 goals.
Global trends & total numbers here: https://t.co/9k219fbTnd pic.twitter.com/xSPcWWC9Gt
“It opens the door to deadly disease outbreaks and puts even more pressure on health systems that are already stretched. Immunization Agenda 2030 targets are in reach to protect more children with life-saving vaccines,” O’Brien noted.
Unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children might have this condition due to a variety of reasons, such as the inability to get a vaccine, disrupted supply chains, conflict and instability, or other factors involving misinformation about vaccines.
The Immunization Agenda 2030 is with reference to a set of objectives proposed by the World Health Assembly to tackle issues in enhancing access.
However, not all the news was so bad in the report. In 2024, 89 percent of infants worldwide, an estimated 115 million, had at least one dose of a vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP), and 85 percent, approximately 109 million, had fully taken the three doses.
Comparatively, approximately 171,000 additional children were vaccinated with at least a single dose, and a one-million increase in the number of children who went through the three doses in 2023.
Measles protection got better as well, with 84 percent of children having been administered the initial dosage, and 76 percent were offered the second dosage, as ABC News reported.
This is a minimal increase from last year, and this implies that 30 million children will remain unprotected. Moreover, the world continues to experience more outbreaks.