The Pandemic Has Worsened Childhood Vaccination Rates Around The World

https://www.npr.org/2021/07/15/ [login to see] /the-pandemic-has-worsened-childhood-vaccination-rates-around-the-world
Nearly 23 million children around the world missed out on routine childhood vaccinations last year due to service disruptions from the pandemic, the World Health Organization and UNICEF report.

In a new analysis released Thursday that highlights data from around the world, the two organizations said immunization rates among children fell in many Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

India represented the largest increase in children not receiving their first diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine from 2019 to 2020. In 2020, India reported more than 3 million children didn't receive their first DTP vaccine, up from the 1.4 million children who didn't get the shot in 2019, according to the data.

And the trend remains a serious problem around the world. There was an increase in the number of children who missed important first vaccine doses in 2020 globally, the organizations said, with millions more children missing out on later vaccines, too.

Children usually receive their first dose of the DTP vaccine when they are under age 7. The first dose of the measles vaccine is usually received between 12 and 15 months of age.