After a historic downturn due to the pandemic, childhood immunizations are improving
NPR Online NewsJul 04, 2023
WHO: Child Vaccination Rates Lag in 2023
Above: A child under 12 years old receives a dose of Pfizer vaccine as part of the COVID-19 immunization campaign on January 18, 2022 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Image copyright: Pedro Vilela/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Data published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF purports that an additional 2.7M children were under or un-vaccinated in 2023 compared to 2019, based on their analysis of immunization trends for 14 diseases.
The number of children who haven't received a single dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine — a benchmark figure for child immunization — went from 12.8M pre-pandemic to 14.5M in 2023, while 6.5M did not receive their final, third dose of the shot.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
In many countries with the privileges of wealth, stability, and good healthcare systems, vaccine misinformation has led to a drop in child immunization rates and the reemergence of diseases such as measles. The West must lead by example and clamp down on dangerous distortions of vaccine efficacy and safety and step-up on the world stage to encourage universal immunization.
Establishment-critical narrative
The data coming from the WHO is troubling but must not become fodder for the censorship crowd that hopelessly politicized the COVID pandemic. Tragic conflicts around the globe, not social media posts, are responsible for the recent dip, and health authorities must focus on clear, consistent messaging over brow-beating in order to restore the trust of the public.