Global Health priorities: repositioning routine immunization for infants

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Epidemiology
• Immunization Programs

Background:

• The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic significantly disrupted routine childhood vaccinations globally.
• This disruption led to the highest number of unvaccinated children under one year old since 2009.
• Resource reallocation to COVID-19 response strained healthcare systems, marginalizing essential services like vaccination campaigns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine childhood immunization coverage worldwide.
• To highlight the rise in vaccine-preventable diseases due to vaccination schedule disruptions.
• To underscore the exacerbation of global health inequalities by unequal vaccine rollout.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of global vaccination data from 2009 onwards.
• Assessment of trends in vaccine-preventable diseases during the pandemic years (2020-2021).
• Review of factors contributing to vaccination disruption, including movement restrictions and healthcare system strain.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in children missing basic vaccines in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A pronounced rise in vaccine-preventable diseases observed in 2020 and 2021.
• Widening disparities in vaccination coverage between high-income and low-income countries.

Conclusions:

• The COVID-19 pandemic has jeopardized decades of progress in global immunization coverage.
• Sustainable investment in routine immunization and catch-up vaccination strategies is essential.
• Addressing the neglect of essential health services is critical to avert further public health crises.