679,000 Indian children missed first vaccine dose in 2025: WHO report

A recent WHO-UNICEF report estimates that 13.5 million infants worldwide did not receive a single vaccine dose in their first year in 2025. Of these "zero-dose" children, 679,000 were in India, while Nigeria had the highest number with 2.2 million unvaccinated infants.

Globally, vaccination rates have shown signs of recovery following significant drops during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 90% of infants receiving at least one dose of the DTP vaccine and 85% completing the full three-dose series. However, overall coverage remains slightly below 2019 levels and has been stagnant for years. The report attributes the vulnerability of millions of children to conflict, displacement, and poverty.

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Governments and health workers have helped global vaccination rates bounce back after dropping significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. But millions of vulnerable children are still being left unprotected due to conflict, displacement, and poverty. We must reach every child, and we must rebuild trust where it is fraying. No child should suffer from a disease that a simple vaccine can prevent.

Progress in preventing outbreaks of highly contagious diseases like measles is also faltering. Globally, 7.3 million infants started their vaccination schedule but dropped out before receiving their first measles dose. This has led to stalled measles coverage, with only 84% receiving the first dose and 77% the second, falling short of the 95% threshold needed to prevent outbreaks. In 2025, 57 countries reported large or disruptive measles outbreaks.

Alarmingly, the report points to a decline in vaccination coverage in middle- and high-income nations, even where vaccines are readily available. This trend is linked to shifting political commitment, structural challenges, and rising vaccine hesitancy. "Every child, whether born into wealth or poverty, peace or conflict, deserves the lifegiving protection that vaccines provide," stated WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasizing immunization as a cost-effective and equitable health intervention.

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Every child, whether born into wealth or poverty, peace or conflict, deserves the lifegiving protection that vaccines provide. Immunization is one of the most cost-effective, most equitable, and most reliable interventions for protecting children’s health and well-being.