WHO lauds countries for scaling up routine immunization, urges efforts must continue

Every child deserves to be protected against life-threatening diseases with routine immunization vaccines

New Delhi: While lauding member countries for scaling up immunization coverage, the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region, on Tuesday, said that they should continue their efforts in identifying the unvaccinated children.

Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia, in a press statement, said, “The countries and partners agencies must continue to and scale up efforts to identify the unvaccinated children, strengthen capacities of the health workforce, better understand and engage with vulnerable populations and roll out tailored strategies to reach each and every child with the lifesaving routine immunization vaccines.” The Organization called for continued intensified efforts with a focus to target the 2.3 million un-vaccinated and 650,000 partially vaccinated children.

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Every child deserves to be protected against life-threatening diseases with routine immunization vaccines. The momentum built with impressive efforts and immunization service recoveries must continue to benefit every child for a healthy and productive life, she added.

The WHO and UNICEF estimates of national immunization coverage for 2022, released earlier today, show that in WHO South-East Asia Region the coverage rate for DPT3, third dose of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccines which is used globally to assess vaccination rates, recovered to pre-pandemic 91 per cent, a sharp increase from 82 per cent recorded in 2021.

The Region has also shown a 6 per cent improvement in coverage of the measles-containing vaccine in 2022 compared to 2021, moving from 86 per cent to 92 per cent.

The number of zero-dose children i.e. those that have not received even the first dose of the DPT vaccine halved from 4.6 million in 2021 to 2.3 million in 2022. Similarly, the number of partially vaccinated children, those that had received at least one dose of DPT vaccine but did not complete the primary series of 3 doses, reduced from 1.3 million in 2021 to 650 000 in 2022 a 50 per cent decline.

The Region had the best immunization recoveries among all WHO Regions which can be majorly attributed to efforts being made by India and Indonesia, the Regional Director said.

India recorded 93 per cent DPT3 coverage in 2022, surpassing the pre-pandemic all-time high of 91 per cent in 2019, and a rapid increase from 85 per cent recorded in 2021.

Indonesia’s DPT3 coverage recovered to 85 per cent, the same as in 2019, but the country recorded one of the sharpest recoveries from 67 per cent in 2021.

Bhutan with 98 per cent and Maldives with 99 per cent DPT3 coverage surpassed their pre-pandemic immunization rates.

Bangladesh with 98 per cent and Thailand with 97 per cent have demonstrated consistency in routine immunization coverage throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

While we draw lessons from the pandemic to strengthen capacities to respond to future health emergencies, we must learn from countries that maintained their immunization rates even while responding to a pandemic, Dr Khetrapal Singh said.

Much has been achieved, much needs to be done. While overall immunization coverage levels are looking good, and the progress is encouraging, there remain variabilities in the coverage at sub-national levels in countries, especially in those with large populations.

The inequities in immunization coverage leading to the accumulation of pockets of unvaccinated children pose the risk of outbreaks of measles, diphtheria, and other vaccine-preventable diseases. These gaps must be closed, she added.