Overview
- National 2024 data show overall childhood coverage hovering near 50%, far below the Pan American Health Organization’s recommended threshold above 85%.
- The polio booster for children entering primary school dropped to 47.6% after a decade never below 84%, while the triple viral vaccine fell to 46.7% and HPV reached only about half of preadolescents.
- Early-life doses such as BCG and neonatal hepatitis B retained higher uptake in 2025 reporting, but booster shots at ages 5–6 and 11 saw the sharpest declines.
- Infectious-disease specialists warn the gaps open the door to polio, measles, pertussis and meningococcal disease and call for better patient follow-up, consistent professional guidance and robust counter-disinformation efforts.
- The downturn mirrors regional strains, with UNICEF reporting one in four children in Latin America and the Caribbean unvaccinated as Canada loses measles-elimination status, underscoring cross-border risk.