Vaccines save lives – but only if people have access to them. In 2021 alone, 25 million children around the world missed out on vaccines. That is 2 million more than in 2020 and 6 million more than in 2019, according to new data published by UNICEF and WHO. These numbers signal the largest sustained decline in childhood vaccinations in approximately 30 years. The decline in vaccine coverage is due to many factors including an increased number of children living in conflict and fragile settings where immunisation access is tenuous, increased misinformation, and COVID-19 related issues such as service and supply chain disruptions, resource diversion and containment measures.
UNICEF has generated a new set of regional snapshots highlighting key immunization statistics using the latest available national-level data. These snapshots present information on historical trends in coverage for each region as well as for countries within regions. The graphs also provide information on missed opportunities — the number of children not reached with essential immunization services in each region and how this number varies by country — as well as trends in immunization coverage during the COVID-19 period.
Explore the snapshots below:
