WHO and UNICEF report slight rise in global childhood vaccination in 2025, with 13.5 million children still unvaccinated
The Facts
- WHO and UNICEF released updated 2025 immunization estimates showing that global childhood vaccination coverage increased slightly from the previous year.
- In 2025, 90% of infants globally, or nearly 116 million, received at least one dose of DTP vaccine, and 85% completed all three recommended doses.
- An estimated 13.5 million children were 'zero-dose' in 2025, meaning they did not receive any vaccine in their first year of life.
- The number of zero-dose children fell from 2024 to 2025, but remained above 2019 levels.
- The reported gains in vaccination coverage remain below pre-pandemic benchmarks, with global DTP coverage still one percentage point lower than in 2019.
- WHO and UNICEF said conflict, funding cuts and outbreaks are undermining immunization efforts and contributing to gaps in coverage.
- The shortfall in vaccination coverage leaves millions of children unprotected against preventable diseases and puts 2030 global immunization goals further out of reach.
Context
What does 'zero-dose' mean in this report?
It refers to children who did not receive a single vaccine during their first year of life Reuters,Hindustan Times.
If vaccination rates rose, why are health agencies still concerned?
WHO and UNICEF said the improvements were small and fragile: coverage is still below 2019 levels, 13.5 million children remained completely unvaccinated, and conflict, funding cuts and outbreaks are disrupting immunization systems Reuters,Straits Times,New Indian Express.
How does this compare with global immunization targets?
Multiple reports citing the WHO-UNICEF estimates said the world is not on track for the Immunization Agenda 2030 goal, which aims to reduce the number of zero-dose children to 6.4 million by the end of the decade SAPO,Público.es.
Where Left and Right agree, and where they split
- Where Left and Right agree
- Vaccination gains are real but still too fragile and incomplete, leaving millions of children unprotected and global immunization goals further out of reach.
- Where Left and Right split
- Whether the story is about children bearing the human cost of strained public health systems, or about preserving steady vaccine delivery against disruption.
How left and right read it
The modest rise in childhood vaccination matters, but the deeper story is how conflict and funding cuts are still leaving 13.5 million children with no vaccines at all in their first year of life. When coverage remains below 2019 levels and millions are left unprotected against preventable disease, this is a reminder that children pay first when public health systems are strained.
The notable fact here is that global coverage did improve, with 90% of infants receiving at least one DTP dose and the number of zero-dose children falling from the prior year. But progress that still sits below 2019 levels shows how fragile basic health gains become when conflict, outbreaks, and funding cuts disrupt steady, reliable delivery.
The receipts — all 71 sources
Wire services (2)
Independent coverage (50)
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