Global health officials predicted a drop in routine childhood immunization during the worst pandemic period when lockdowns were in effect, but the decline continues — the worst in three decades— the World Health Organization and UNICEF said today.According to new data, the percentage of kids who have received three doses of a vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DPT)—considered a key immunization tracking benchmark—dropped 5 percentage points between 2019 and 2021 to 81%.The decline means that in 2021, 25 million kids missed one more doses of DPT vaccine, 2 million more than children who missed out in 2029 and 6 million more than in 2019.Multiple factors are behind the decline, including larger numbers of children living in conflict areas, increased misinformation about vaccines, and COVID-19 related problems such as reduces services and supply chain disruptions, the groups said.Catherine Russell, UNICEF's executive director, said officials expected a "pandemic hangover" in 2021 due to COVID disruptions and lockdowns, but the world is now witnessing a continued decline.Lower income countries saw bigger declines"This is a red alert for child health.
We are witnessing the largest sustained drop in childhood immunization in a generation. The consequences will be measured in lives," she said.Without catch-up immunization pushes, the world will see more sick children, more outbreaks, and more pressure on health systems, Russell warned.According to the data, the declines are steepest in low- and middle-income countries, with India, Nigeria, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and the Philippines among the countries that saw steep declines in kids receiving their DTP doses.