WHO: One in 10 infants missed out on life-saving vaccines in 2016

Dar es Salaam. Nearly one in 10 infants globally did not receive any vaccination in 2016, according to a new report released on Monday by the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

According to the report, these infants missed the first dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccine, putting them at serious risk of these potentially fatal diseases.

"Most of the children that remain un-immunized are the same ones missed by health systems," says Dr Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele, Director of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at WHO in a WHO-UNICEF joint statement.

Yet, an estimated 6.6 million infants who received their first dose of DTP-containing vaccine did not complete the full, three dose DTP immunization series (DTP3) in 2016, says the report.

Experts say immunization currently prevents between 2–3 million deaths every year, from diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and measles. It is one of the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions.

“Immunization is one of the most pro-equity interventions around,” says Dr Robin Nandy, Chief of Immunizations at UNICEF. “Bringing life-saving vaccines to the poorest communities, women and children must be considered a top priority in all contexts,’’ he added.

In 2016, eight countries had less than 50 percent coverage with DTP3 in 2016, including Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic and Ukraine.

According to the new data, 130 of the 194 WHO member states have achieved and sustained at least 90 percent coverage for DTP3 at the national level – one of the targets set out in the Global Vaccine Action Plan.