1.4 Million Children Missed Routine Vaccines in the Americas

As parents prepare to send their children back to school in August 2025, many are concerned about the under-vaccination rate in their country.

According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), 1.4 million children in the Americas did not receive a single dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccine, marking an increase in so-called “zero-dose” children.

These findings announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF on July 15, 2025, are part of the 2024 WHO and UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC), which show that while global childhood vaccination coverage has largely stabilized, nearly 20 million children worldwide missed at least one DTP vaccine dose, including 14.3 million zero-dose children. In the Americas, the number of zero-dose children rose by 186,000 compared to the previous year, reaching 1,465,000.

“The Americas has shown a firm commitment to protecting its child population, but the gaps in vaccination coverage remind us that more must be done,” said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of the PAHO, the regional office of WHO for the Americas, in a press release.

“Vaccination remains one of the most effective tools to prevent diseases and save lives. We cannot allow any child to be left unprotected.”

Fortunately, immunization coverage in the Americas improved for several key antigens, such as the following:

Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine coverage of the first dose increased from 86% to 88%, and the second dose from 75% to 77%.

The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine rate rose from 76% to 79%.

For the HPV vaccine, the Americas has the highest coverage globally, with 76% of girls under 15 years of age receiving at least one dose.

The WHO reported that Immunization coverage in the 57 low-income countries supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has improved over the past year, reducing the number of un- and under-vaccinated children by approximately 650,000.

At the same time, signs of slippage are emerging in upper-middle- and high-income countries that have previously maintained at least 90% coverage.

Additionally, the WHO, PAHO, and the U.S. CDC recommend various travel vaccines for children visiting areas affected by disease outbreaks in July 2025.