Vaccination gaps leave millions of children at risk of preventable diseases

A team of healthcare workers vaccinating children in Ortum in West Pokot County in Kenya. [File, Standard]

According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), 14.5 million children received no routine vaccinations at all in 2023. These children, known as zero-dose, are at the highest risk of serious illness and death from diseases that vaccines are designed to prevent.

Vaccines are safe, effective, and lifesaving. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that between 3.5 and 5 million lives are saved globally each year through routine immunisation. Vaccines are among the most powerful tools available to protect children from serious diseases, such as measles, polio, tetanus, and pneumonia, illnesses that can result in long-term disability or death if left untreated. However, many children continue to miss out on vaccines due to misinformation or limited access.