Overview
- National data for 2024 show fewer than half of children aged 5–6 received required school‑entry shots, far below the Pan American Health Organization’s benchmark of over 85%.
- Polio booster coverage fell to 47.6% after a decade never below 84% between 2009 and 2019, and measles‑mumps‑rubella coverage dropped to 46.7%.
- HPV vaccination reached only about half of eligible 11‑year‑olds, while the latest national report notes relatively higher rates for early‑life doses but steep declines for boosters.
- Experts cite follow‑up failures, mixed messages from some clinicians, misinformation and lower risk perception among younger parents as key drivers of the setback.
- Regional signals add urgency, with UNICEF reporting one in four children in Latin America and the Caribbean unvaccinated and Canada losing its measles elimination status.