Dr. Christopher Morgan, Jhpiego’s Senior Technical Advisor on immunizations, responds to the WHO-UNICEF report on the alarming rise in unvaccinated children: “The rise in unimmunized children in 2021 is extremely alarming. There is now an historically large pool who are vulnerable to future outbreaks. Our work on COVID-19 vaccination must go hand in hand with work to strengthen routine services. Lifesaving childhood vaccines cannot be put aside until later; they must have action now to restore coverage. As we come to the realization that we will be vaccinating against COVID-19 for many future years, it is surely time to bring regular vaccination for children AND adolescents AND adults together under one routine program for immunization throughout the life course.”
For more information on the issue of Zero-dose children, watch this webinar or listen to Jhpiego’s World Health Assembly even on lessons from the pandemic in preparing for life course vaccinations that featured speakers from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, WHO, the health ministries of Ecuador, Pakistan and Lesotho, The Rockefeller Foundation and Merck.
