Message from the WHO Director of Immunization for June 2024

On 15 July, WHO and UNICEF released their latest estimates of national immunization coverage (WUENIC), the most comprehensive dataset on vaccination trends for 13 diseases. The findings are a mix of progress and urgent calls for action.

In 2023, as many as 108 million children worldwide received three doses of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine, a key indicator of global immunization coverage. However, the data reveal a stark reality: 14.5 million children have not received all doses of the DTP-containing vaccine, putting them at serious risk of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. More worryingly, more than half of these children live in fragile and conflict-affected areas, where their vulnerability is compounded.

Worse still, 6.5 million children have not received their follow-up dose of DTP, and global coverage of this critical measure of program performance has stagnated since 2022. The impact of the pandemic continues, with 600,000 more children with zero doses in 2023 than in 2022 and 1.7 million more than in 2019. This increase over pre-pandemic levels rises to 2 million if under-vaccinated children are also included. This stagnation in coverage recovery and strengthening underscores the urgent need for innovation, effective local approaches, and, most importantly, the political and social leadership that underpins the intensified actions needed to achieve the goals of the 2030 Immunization Agenda: 90% coverage and a 50% reduction in the number of children with zero doses (to a maximum of 6.5 million) by 2030.

The data on measles vaccination coverage are particularly alarming. Although measles is a highly preventable disease, nearly 35 million children have still not received one or more doses of vaccine through routine immunization. These numbers fall far short of what is needed to prevent outbreaks and deaths, underscoring the urgency of closing immunization gaps. WUENIC’s estimates highlight in particular that the 91 countries that have not experienced significant measles outbreaks in the past five years have MCV1 vaccination coverage that is at least 10 percentage points higher than the average coverage of the 103 countries that have experienced measles outbreaks. This underscores the fact that high routine measles vaccine coverage is the foundation on which outbreak prevention is achieved, although this often requires additional advocacy efforts to close the gaps. These additional efforts are not enough to completely avoid epidemics, when the basis of coverage through the systematic distribution channel is lacking.

Despite this global stagnation, there are some bright spots, particularly in Africa. The region has defied expectations by increasing routine immunization coverage, with 1.5 million more children vaccinated with DTP compared to 2019, and a decline in the number of children missing a dose, from 7.3 million in 2022 to 6.7 million in 2023. This progress, despite the challenges of a growing child population, reflects the increasing priority countries are giving to resilient immunization programs.

WHO and UNICEF, together with Gavi and other partners, are committed to implementing the IA2030 strategy, which aims to ensure universal access to vaccines and disease prevention. To achieve these goals, countries must take the lead.

Revitalizing immunization programs, strengthening community-based health systems, ensuring vaccine supply, and stimulating demand through community engagement are critical to success. Policies and resources must urgently prioritize routine immunization, especially against measles, and focus on reducing the number of children who miss a dose.

The message is clear: it is time to act to ensure a healthier future for all. The world can no longer afford to wait.

Global Forum for Vaccine Sovereignty and Innovation Sets Ambitious Goals

On 20 June, the Global Forum for Vaccine Sovereignty and Innovation marked an important step towards strengthening global vaccination efforts. The event was hosted by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the French Government and the African Union with Team Europe partners.

Gavi’s 2026-2030 investment opportunity was launched at the event, with the aim of kicking off the replenishment period in the coming months, in support of the Gavi 6.0 strategy for 2026-2030. The alliance has an ambitious goal of vaccinating one billion children by 2030, a goal driven by the urgent challenges of climate change, economic instability and global health crises. During this period, Gavi plans to support the use of malaria vaccine to immunise 50 million children and HPV vaccine to protect 120 million girls from cervical cancer, potentially saving 1.5 million lives.

To achieve this, Gavi is seeking to raise $9 billion in new pledges of the $11.9 billion needed for the strategic period. Encouragingly, $2.4 billion in new pledges were announced at the launch event, including $1.58 billion from the United States.

The forum also launched the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA), a pioneering initiative to boost vaccine production in Africa. Developed by Gavi in ​​collaboration with the African Union and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, AVMA aims to create a robust vaccine ecosystem with strong regulatory frameworks and effective procurement strategies. It is expected to receive approximately $1.2 billion in donor funding over the next decade to purchase vaccines manufactured in facilities on the continent.

As the world rallies behind these initiatives, our collective efforts will be critical to achieving these historic milestones, ensuring millions more children, adolescents and adults receive lifesaving vaccines, and strengthening global health resilience.

Next steps for the TB Vaccine Accelerator: a global initiative for new tuberculosis vaccines

Following the second high-level meeting of the Tuberculosis Vaccination Acceleration Council in late May, WHO is leading a collaborative effort to accelerate the development, approval and use of innovative TB vaccines. WHO’s Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals (IVB) and Global Tuberculosis Control (GTC) departments, as well as the Division of Science, are joining forces to bring together countries and partners to advance this critical mission.

WHO has launched a call for proposals to support the secretariat of the TB Vaccine Accelerator. The Accelerator aims to bring together key stakeholders in four key areas: vaccine science and research, product development and manufacturing policy, financing and access strategy, and country preparedness and community partnerships. The aim is to create strong and inclusive working groups, fostering both existing collaborations and new partnerships, particularly those from high-burden TB countries.