WHO, UNICEF Report Sharp Global Vaccination Shortfall in 2025

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) say about 13.5 million infants worldwide did not receive a single vaccine during their first year of life in 2025, despite a slight improvement in global immunization coverage.

According to the latest WHO-UNICEF report, about 116 million children received at least one dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) vaccine, while around 110 million completed the recommended three-dose schedule.

However, vaccination rates remain below pre-pandemic levels, and millions of children continue to miss essential vaccines.
The report noted that although the number of completely unvaccinated children fell by nearly 750,000 compared to 2024, many children still begin vaccination programs but fail to complete them.

This has contributed to low measles vaccination coverage, with only 84 percent of children receiving the first dose and 77 percent receiving the second dose—well below the 95 percent level needed to prevent outbreaks.

Nigeria continues to have the highest number of unvaccinated children globally, with more than two million children yet to receive any routine vaccine.

WHO and UNICEF urged governments and development partners to strengthen immunization services, combat vaccine misinformation, increase funding, and improve disease surveillance systems to protect children from preventable diseases.

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