WHO and UNICEF say 13.5 million children received no vaccines in their first year in 2025
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- Coverage improved but remains incomplete enough to leave millions of children outside routine immunization, sustaining real outbreak risk despite broad global reach.
- They split on
- Whether the story is about children still excluded from basic protection, or about routine immunization systems steadily delivering gains to most families worldwide.
The Facts
- WHO and UNICEF's 2025 immunization estimates say 13.5 million children globally received no vaccines in their first year of life.
- In 2025, about 90% of infants worldwide, or nearly 116 million, received at least one dose of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine.
- About 85% of infants worldwide, or roughly 110 million children, completed the full three-dose DTP series in 2025.
- The DTP1 and DTP3 coverage indicators each rose by one percentage point from 2024, but remained below 2019 levels.
- The number of zero-dose children fell from the previous year, but WHO and UNICEF say many children still remain outside routine immunization services.
- The agencies warn that remaining coverage gaps matter because they can increase the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
- India was estimated to have 679,000 zero-dose children in 2025, down from 909,000 in 2024.
Analytical frames for this storyTap to explore
Context
What does 'zero-dose' mean in this report?
It refers to children who did not receive a single routine vaccine during their first year of life Hindustan Times,Free Press Journal.
Why do WHO and UNICEF use DTP coverage in these estimates?
The report uses first-dose and third-dose coverage for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis as key indicators of whether children are being reached by routine immunization services and whether they complete the basic series Deutsche Welle,who.int,Express Tribune.
What factors are cited as holding back further progress?
The sources say conflicts, misinformation and funding cuts are contributing to coverage gaps and making it harder to sustain or expand immunization gains Deutsche Welle,Express Tribune.
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View all 48 sources
Independent coverage (48)
Primera EdiciónAlertan por la baja cobertura de vacunación infantil en Arge...
who.intImmunization coverage
O GloboOMS: 13,5 milhões de bebês seguem sem nenhuma dose de vacina...
cnbctv18.comIndia makes gains in child immunisation, number of 'zero-dos...
Zócalo SaltilloCoberturas de vacunación superan estimaciones de OMS: Salud
allAfricaAfrica: Global Childhood Immunization Coverage Inches Forwar...
Hindustan Times679,000 'zero-dose' Indian children didn't receive single do...
The StarVaccine stockouts leave thousands of Kenyan children exposed...
MedindiaWHO: 13.5 Million Children Remain Unvaccinated in 2025
Periódico AMUnicef y OMS advierten rezago en vacunación infantil en Méxi...
ReliefWebLa cobertura mundial de inmunización infantil avanza lentame...
ReliefWebLa couverture vaccinale infantile dans le monde augmente lég...
Jammu Kashmir Latest News | Tourism | Breaking News J&KIndia makes gains in child immunisation, number of zero-dose...
El LitoralLa cobertura de vacunación en Argentina sigue cayendo y preo...
CumhuriyetDSÖ ve UNICEF raporu... Aşılama oranları düşüyor: 824 bin ço...
The Express TribuneUN warns of cracks in global immunisation system
VanguardiaMantiene México rezago en vacunación: OMS
La Nación, Grupo NaciónLa OPS pide acelerar la vacunación ante el riesgo de nuevos ...
Tech TimesMeasles Outbreaks Span 57 Countries as Vaccination Stalls Be...
Stiri pe surseRomania's vaccination coverage below recommended levels in 2...
Deutsche WelleVacinação infantil cresce, mas não recupera nível pré-covid
El EconomistaAmérica Latina recupera los niveles de vacunación infantil a...
revistacrescer.globo.comVacinação infantil melhora em 2025, mas ainda não voltou ao ...
Free Press JournalIndia No Longer Among Top 10 Countries With Most Unvaccinate...
Channels TelevisionUN Warns Of Cracks In Global Immunisation System
Neue Zürcher ZeitungZahl der Kinder weltweit ohne Impfungen sinkt
O PovoUnicef: 13,5 milhões de crianças não recebem vacina no 1° an...
Haber Sitesi ODATVAşısız çocuk alarmı: Türkiye korkutan listede
Jornal de BrasíliaUnicef alerta para 13,5 milhões de crianças sem vacinas no m...
Deutsche WelleBM: Milyonlarca çocuk hâlâ aşısız
India TodayWHO, UNICEF question India's newborn hepatitis B vaccine dat...
ReliefWebWHO and UNICEF estimates show routine immunization has rebou...
Tribune de GenèveEn Europe, des centaines de milliers d'enfants ne sont pas v...
The New Indian ExpressOver 6 lakh zero-dose children in India in 2025: UN report
Vorarlberg OnlineEine halbe Millionen Kinder in Europa nicht geimpft
El ConfidencialHasta 13,5 millones de niños no recibieron ninguna vacuna du...
InfosalusHasta 13,5 millones de niños no recibieron ninguna vacuna du...
Mirage NewsChildhood Vaccination Rises, Millions Still Unprotected
DER STANDARDGut eine halbe Million Kinder in Europa laut WHO ohne Impfsc...
MisionesOnlineVacunación infantil: un informe de Unicef y la OMS advierte ...
Yeni Evrensel GazetesiDSÖ ve UNICEF raporu: Türkiye, hiç aşı yaptırılmamış çocukla...
birgun.netDSÖ ve UNICEF verileri açıklandı: Aşı korumasından yoksun ço...
Folha - PEOMS: cobertura vacinal global melhora pouco em 2025 e contin...
HaberlerAvrupa'da Yarım Milyondan Fazla Çocuk Aşılı Değil... Hiç Aşı...
El NacionalOMS y Unicef advierten que Venezuela retrocedió en vacunació...
rts.chUn demi-million d'enfants en Europe ne sont pas du tout vacc...
O GloboOMS: cobertura vacinal global melhora pouco em 2025 e contin...
Diario de PernambucoMais de 13 milhões de crianças não recebem vacina no 1° ano ...
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