Geneva: The routine immunization of children is increasing again after a sharp decline during the Covid-19 crisis, according to the United Nations, which cautioned that there are still dangerous gaps in coverage.

According to data released by the UN health and children's agencies, four million more children received recommended childhood vaccinations in 2018 than in 2021.

World Health Organization vaccine chief Kate O'Brien told AFP, "That's a good news story.

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"On average, nations around the world are regaining health and boosting vaccination rates to reach the level attained before the pandemic struck."

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the WHO, agreed and called the new data "encouraging."

He did, however, issue a warning that "global and regional averages don't tell the whole story and mask severe and persistent inequities."
"Children suffer when nations and regions lag behind."
Despite the advancements, 20.5 million kids failed to receive one or more scheduled vaccinations in 2022.

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Although it was less than the 24.4 million from the previous year, 18.4 million people missed out in 2019 before the pandemic struck.
O'Brien expressed worry about the recovery being "very uneven."

The data revealed that significant increases in vaccine coverage in populous nations like India and Indonesia had obscured slower recovery and even ongoing declines in the majority of low-income countries.

The WHO and UNICEF, the UN agency for children, expressed particular concern about the slow rate of measles vaccination, one of the most contagious diseases in the world.

By the end of last year, 15 of the 73 countries that saw significant drops in measles vaccination rates during the pandemic had recovered to pre-pandemic levels, and 24 more were on the road to recovery.

However, 34 had either remained unchanged or had continued to decline. In the statement, Catherine Russell, the head of UNICEF, stated that "underneath the positive trend lies a grave warning."

Children around the world will continue to be at risk of contracting and dying from diseases we can prevent until more nations close the gaps in routine immunization coverage.

A first dose of the measles vaccine was given to 83 percent of infants last year, up from 81 percent in 2021 but down from 86 percent prior to the pandemic.

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According to the statement released on Tuesday, the slow recovery was increasing the risk of measles infections in 35.2 million additional children.

Positively, vaccination rates against the cancer-causing HPV virus last year exceeded pre-pandemic levels, though they were still significantly below the 90 percent target.