67 million children missed out on vaccines because of Covid: UNICEF

“More than a decade of hard-earned gains in routine childhood immunization have been eroded,” says a new report from the UN’s children’s agency, UNICEF, adding that getting back on track “will be challenging.” – Copyright AFP –

Amélie BOTTOLLIER-DEPOIS

Some 67 million children partially or fully missed routine vaccines globally between 2019 and 2021 because of lockdowns and health care disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the United Nations said Wednesday.

“More than a decade of hard-earned gains in routine childhood immunization have been eroded,” read a new report from the UN’s children’s agency, UNICEF, adding that getting back on track “will be challenging.”

Of the 67 million children whose vaccinations were “severely disrupted,” 48 million missed out on routine vaccines entirely, UNICEF said, flagging con