Childhood Vaxx Rates Are Slowing Worldwide, Study Finds

A study finds post-COVID setbacks, hesitancy, and conflict stall vaccinations.

Published on Jun 26, 2025

Millions of children worldwide remain vulnerable to preventable diseases as progress in childhood vaccination slows, according to a major new study that examined 50 years of global immunization data.

Published this week in The Lancet, the study analyzed the World Health Organization’s global vaccination program, which began in 1974. Since then, the program has reached over 4 billion children and is estimated to have saved 154 million lives.

But researchers say that progress has started to stall. “Despite the monumental efforts of the past 50 years, large numbers of children remain under- and un-vaccinated,” said Dr. Jonathan Mosser of the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. He warned that progress has been uneven, and recent global events have made things worse.

Between 1980 and 2023, coverage for essential vaccines like those for measles, polio, and tuberculosis nearly doubled. But from 2010 to 2019, that growth began to slow in many countries. The COVID-19 pandemic caused further setbacks, pushing vaccination rates even lower.

By 2023, global coverage had not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Tens of millions of children had missed routine vaccine doses, leaving them more vulnerable to preventable diseases.

Also read: Can the Flu and Pneumonia Vaccines Really Protect You Against 2019-nCoV?

The slowdown isn’t limited to low-income countries. Of 36 high-income countries and territories, 21 reported a decline in at least one key childhood vaccine.

In some areas, conflict made access even harder. Sudan’s civil war in 2023, for instance, led to a drop in the number of children receiving the first dose of the DTP vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.

Misinformation and vaccine hesitancy also continue to undercut efforts. These issues were already on the rise before the pandemic and have only grown stronger.

“Persistent global inequalities, challenges from the COVID pandemic, and the growth of vaccine misinformation and hesitancy have all contributed to faltering immunization progress,” added Dr. Mosser.

The study also warns of planned cuts in vaccine budgets that could hit low- and middle-income countries the hardest. But richer countries are not exempt from consequences. As outbreaks grow more frequent, costs rise for everyone.

Philippines Cuts Zero-Dose Numbers, But Gaps in Coverage Remain

Based on data from the Global Burden of Disease Study Vaccine Coverage Collaborators, the number of “zero-dose” Filipino children aged one year and below was estimated at 85,907 in 2023. This is a 47 percent decrease from 163,000 in 2022.

However, the Philippines still ranks 36th worldwide among countries with the highest number of unvaccinated children. Between 2020 and 2022, the country placed 5th globally with one million zero-dose children.

Zero-dose children are defined in the study as those who did not receive a single dose of the DTaP vaccine in their first year. Locally, this vaccine is administered for free at public health centers under the Department of Health’s national immunization program, as part of the pentavalent vaccine.

Click here for a quick guide to all newborn vaccines for babies 0–2 months old.

Hanna is a News Desk Writer at Smart Parenting, covering parenting, health, culture, and more. Off the clock, she’s likely people-watching at a café or park, matcha latte in hand.