United Nations Warns of Alarming Loophole in Global Vaccination System

The United Nations reported on Wednesday that global childhood vaccination rates saw a slight improvement last year, but warned that a significant cut in funding, alongside conflicts and the spread of misinformation, has exacerbated gaps in health coverage and driven a rise in disease outbreaks.

Data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF showed that 90% of children worldwide, approximately 116 million, received at least one dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) vaccine series in 2025, while 85% completed the full three-dose vaccination program.

On the surface, these figures appear positive, as both indicators rose by one percentage point compared to 2024 and by four points since 2021.

However, the 2025 figures were one percentage point lower than 2019 levels, prior to the severe damage inflicted on global vaccination programs by the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stated in a press release that this means “millions of vulnerable children remain unprotected due to conflict, displacement, and poverty,” adding, “No child should suffer from a disease that can be prevented with a simple vaccine.”

The data indicated that approximately 13.5 million children classified as “unvaccinated” did not receive any single vaccine dose during their first year of life in 2025.

This figure represents a decline of about 750,000 children compared to 2024, and roughly one million fewer than in 2023.

The WHO and UNICEF noted that an increasing number of children, particularly in low-income countries, begin the vaccination program but do not complete it.

Globally, data showed that about 7.3 million infants received their first dose of the DTP vaccine series in the early months of life but did not receive their first dose of the measles vaccine, which is typically administered between nine and twelve months of age.

WHO’s Director of the Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals Department, Dr. Kate O’Brien, told journalists, “We believe this is clearly linked in some cases to the spread of false and misleading information regarding measles vaccination, which raises significant concern.”

The decline in vaccination completion rates contributed to measles coverage stagnating at 84% of children worldwide who received their first dose, and only 77% who received the second dose. These figures fall below the 95% threshold required to prevent the spread of this highly contagious disease.

O’Brien stated, “The repercussions are now becoming apparent,” noting that “57 countries reported large-scale measles outbreaks in 2025.”

She added that the world witnessed “unprecedented numbers of outbreaks” last year, with “increases in diphtheria and cholera outbreaks,” alongside the spread of measles.

O’Brien mentioned that this was the first indication in the data of the impact of substantial aid cuts by the United States and other countries following the return of US President Donald Trump to the White House last year.

“We do not believe that the impact of reduced funding is fully reflected in the 2025 data,” she said, adding, “Our concerns are heavily focused on what will happen to programs in 2026 and beyond.” She emphasized that the outbreaks indicate “a significant gap in the vaccination system.”

UNICEF’s Head of Immunization, Efraim Lemango, shared this view, warning that funding cuts are severely damaging the data systems necessary to track their effects. He told journalists, “Our ability to conduct precise surveillance of disease outbreaks has been significantly affected.”

Only 18 national immunization surveys were conducted in 2025, compared to 50 in 2024. On a positive note, the report released on Wednesday showed that vaccination coverage against a range of diseases reached record levels in 57 low-income countries supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. However, the organization warned that declining funding for its operations signals dire consequences for the future. Tabani Mavuso, Gavi’s senior official for low- and middle-income countries, told journalists, “We believe that 600,000 people whose lives could have been saved will now be harmed.”