Context:

The study highlights the significant achievements of childhood vaccination programs over the past 50 years, preventing approximately 154 million child deaths globally. Despite these successes, recent years have seen a slowdown in vaccination efforts, exacerbated by misinformation and other challenges such as political instability, climate crises, and the COVID-19 pandemic. This regression poses a risk of resurgence in vaccine-preventable diseases, with declines noted in at least one type of vaccination in 21 of 36 high-income countries between 2010 and 2019. The study underscores the need for targeted public health campaigns to address country-specific vaccination gaps and misinformation. Sustained investment and strategic planning are essential to achieving the World Health Organization's target of 90% global vaccine coverage by 2030.

Dive Deeper:

• Routine childhood vaccinations have been a global success, preventing the deaths of about 154 million children over the past five decades, yet recent efforts have slowed, risking a resurgence of preventable diseases.

• Between 2010 and 2019, vaccination rates declined in 21 out of 36 high-income countries, with misinformation and other factors like political instability and the COVID-19 pandemic contributing to this trend.

• The number of 'zero-dose' children, those who have not received any doses of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, peaked during the pandemic, highlighting the impact of global crises on vaccination efforts.

• The study emphasizes the importance of childhood immunization as a cost-effective public health strategy, with financial returns up to 44 times the vaccination cost.

• There is a pressing need for targeted public health campaigns tailored to individual countries to close vaccination gaps and ensure equitable access, as large numbers of children remain under- or un-vaccinated globally.

• The World Health Organization aims to achieve a 90% global vaccine coverage by 2030, necessitating sustained investment and strategic approaches to overcome the obstacles presented by vaccine misinformation and other barriers.

• In the United States, despite most parents valuing childhood vaccines, exemption rates have risen to their highest, contributing to outbreaks of diseases like measles, necessitating renewed focus on vaccination campaigns.