Global Childhood Vaccination Stalls Despite Modest Recovery in 2025

The report estimates that 13.5 million children did not receive a single vaccine during their first year of life in 2025.

Global childhood immunisation recorded modest progress in 2025, yet millions of children remain unprotected against preventable diseases, raising concerns that vaccination efforts are losing momentum just as outbreaks continue to spread across several parts of the world.

New figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF show that 90% of infants worldwide, nearly 116 million children, received at least one dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine during 2025. Around 110 million infants, representing 85% of the global total, completed all three recommended doses. Although both indicators improved by one percentage point compared with the previous year, vaccination coverage remains below pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2019, showing that the global recovery has yet to regain lost ground.

Measles outbreaks expose widening immunity gaps

The report estimates that 13.5 million children did not receive a single vaccine during their first year of life in 2025. That figure is about 750,000 lower than in 2024, yet health agencies warn that another challenge is becoming more common, with many children starting their vaccination schedule but failing to complete it.

More than 7.3 million infants received their first DTP dose but missed their first measles vaccine, creating significant immunity gaps. Global measles coverage remains well below the 95% level needed to prevent widespread transmission, with 84% of children receiving the first measles dose and only 77% receiving the second. The consequences were visible throughout the year as 57 countries reported major or disruptive measles outbreaks, highlighting the continuing risks posed by declining vaccination rates.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said governments and healthcare workers have helped rebuild vaccination coverage after the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet conflict, displacement and poverty continue to leave millions of children without essential protection. She stressed that rebuilding public trust and reaching every child remain critical priorities.

Conflict, funding pressures and hesitancy threaten progress

The report shows that more than half of the world's zero-dose children live in fragile or conflict-affected countries, where healthcare systems often struggle because of insecurity, political instability and limited resources. Syria experienced sharp declines in vaccination coverage during 2025, while Sudan recorded one of the world's largest improvements after access to health services expanded despite ongoing conflict.

Challenges are also emerging in wealthier nations. WHO and UNICEF noted that vaccination rates have slipped in several middle- and high-income countries due to weakening political commitment, structural barriers and growing vaccine hesitancy. South Africa's DTP coverage has dropped significantly since 2019, while Bosnia and Herzegovina experienced a sharp fall in measles vaccination during the past year.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said vaccines remain one of the most effective and equitable public health measures available, adding that every child deserves protection regardless of where they are born.

WHO, UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, are urging governments to strengthen immunisation services in fragile settings, counter false health information, increase financial support for vaccination programmes and invest in stronger data and disease surveillance systems. They warn that without renewed commitment, preventable disease outbreaks could become more frequent and place millions more children at unnecessary risk.