Vaccine Confidence Drops, 67 Million Children Miss Routine Shots Amid Pandemic

According to UNICEF, 67 million children missed routine vaccinations between 2019 and 2021 due to COVID-19 disruptions.
Public perception of childhood vaccines declined in 52 out of 55 countries surveyed, indicating growing vaccine hesitancy.
million children received no vaccinations at all, raising the risk of disease outbreaks like polio and measles.
Vaccine confidence fell the most in South Korea, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Ghana and Senegal, dropping by over a third.
UNICEF called on governments to increase funding for immunization programs and accelerate efforts to reach unvaccinated children.