WHO and partners say global catch-up campaign delivered more than 100 million childhood vaccine doses since 2023
The Facts
- The Big Catch-Up delivered more than 100 million vaccine doses to children worldwide between 2023 and 2025.
- The campaign reached an estimated 18.3 million children ages 1 to 5 across 36 countries.
- WHO, UNICEF and Gavi led the initiative.
- The initiative was launched in 2023 to address declines in childhood immunization linked to disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- About 12.3 million of the children reached were previously 'zero-dose' children who had not received any vaccine before the campaign.
- Around 15 million children reached by the campaign had not previously received a measles vaccine dose.
- The campaign concluded in March 2026 and the agencies said it is on track to meet its target of reaching 21 million un- and under-immunized children.
- The agencies said that despite the campaign's progress, many infants still miss routine immunization each year, so catch-up efforts alone are not enough to close immunity gaps.
Context
What is The Big Catch-Up?
It is a global immunization recovery campaign launched in 2023 by WHO, UNICEF and Gavi to reach children ages 1 to 5 who missed routine vaccinations during the COVID-19 period and to close resulting immunity gaps who.int,Anadolu Ajansı,Punch Newspapers.
Who was the campaign trying to reach?
The agencies said the campaign focused on children who had missed routine vaccines, including 'zero-dose' children who had never received a vaccine; about 12.3 million such children were reached, and around 15 million children had missed a measles shot before the drive U.S. News & World R…,who.int,Anadolu Ajansı.
Why does this milestone matter if the campaign has ended?
The milestone shows progress in restoring coverage after pandemic disruptions, but the agencies said many infants still miss routine immunization every year, leaving them vulnerable to preventable diseases and making stronger routine vaccination systems necessary beyond one-time catch-up campaigns who.int,ThePrint,Anadolu Ajansı.
How left and right read it
More than 100 million doses reaching 18.3 million children, including 12.3 million who had never received any vaccine, is a reminder of how much children can lose when routine immunization breaks down. The important point is that large public-health institutions were able to restore protection at scale, but the agencies’ warning stands: if many infants still miss routine shots each year, catch-up campaigns cannot be the whole answer.
The headline achievement is real: more than 100 million doses delivered across 36 countries, with the campaign on track toward its 21 million-child target after concluding in March 2026. But the agencies’ own warning matters just as much: a temporary catch-up drive is no substitute for dependable routine immunization, and success should be measured by whether regular systems can sustain coverage without repeated emergency-style efforts.
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