COVID-19 hampered childhood vaccination rollout, may lead to increase in preventable diseases: UNICEF

This trend was a "worrying warning signal" of rising vaccine hesitancy amid misinformation, dwindling trust in governments and political polarisation, said Catherine Russell, UNICEF executive director.

The change in perception is particularly worrying as it comes after the largest sustained backslide in childhood immunisation in a generation during COVID disruptions. In total, 67 million children missed out on one or more potentially lifesaving vaccines during the pandemic, and efforts to catch up have stalled despite increasing outbreaks.

The data was collected by the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which found that the picture of vaccine confidence varied globally.

In countries including Papua New Guinea and South Korea, agreement with the statement "vaccines are important for children" declined by 44 percent, and more than a third in Ghana, Senegal, and Japan.

In the United States, it declined by 13.6 percentage points. In India, China, and Mexico, confidence remained broadly the same or increased.

The consequences of vaccine hesitancy are becoming increasingly evident, with outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases being reported in many countries – mostly in Africa but also in the United States of America and India (of measles), the report said.

In India, about 5.7 million children, about ten percent of those to be vaccinated, were left out because of COVID-related logistical problems. While over 46 million children in India have been vaccinated, the 2022 results, still being tabulated, will only be available in June.

UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children Report says the percentage of infants left behind is high in many countries, including Myanmar, where it’s 55 percent, Nigeria, Indonesia, Brazil, and Afghanistan. In all these countries, the backlog is roughly between 25 and 30 percent.

With one in five children not fully vaccinated and preventable illnesses beginning to happen, the UNICEF report stressed the importance of all countries having the funds for vaccines, new vaccines being developed quickly, supply chains being efficient, and digital technologies helping ensure the data regarding immunisation schemes are accurate and up to date.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of vaccines in protecting individuals and communities. It is essential to continue to promote vaccination as a vital public health intervention and address vaccine hesitancy through education and communication. Failure to do so risks undermining the significant gains made in public health over the last few decades.