WHO: Progress and challenges with achieving universal immunization coverage (15 July 2025)

Summary

In 2024, 89% of infants globally – about 115 million – received at least one dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccine, and 85% -- roughly 109 million – completed all three doses, according to new national immunisation coverage data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.

Content

Compared to 2023, around 171 000 more children received at least one vaccine, and one million more completed the full three-dose DTP series. While the gains are modest, they signal continued progress by countries working to protect children, even amid growing challenges.

Still, nearly 20 million infants missed at least one dose of DTP-containing vaccine last year, including 14.3 million “zero-dose” children who never received a single dose of any vaccine. That’s 4 million more than the 2024 target needed to stay on track with Immunization Agenda 2030 goals, and 1.4 million more than in 2019, the baseline year for measuring progress.

"Vaccines save lives, allowing individuals, families, communities, economies and nations to flourish," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "It's encouraging to see a continued increase in the number of children being vaccinated, although we still have a lot of work to do. Drastic cuts in aid, coupled with misinformation about the safety of vaccines, threaten to unwind decades of progress. WHO remains committed to working with our partners to support countries to develop local solutions and increase domestic investment to reach all children with the lifesaving power of vaccines."

Children often remain un- or under-vaccinated due to a combination of factors, such as limited access to immunisation services, disrupted supply, conflict and instability, or misinformation about vaccines.