The Big Catch-Up Boosts Children Vaccinations

Global health partners today announced a call for "The Big Catch-up," a targeted effort to boost vaccination among children following declines driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Big Catch-up aims to protect populations from vaccine-preventable outbreaks, save children's lives, and strengthen national health systems.

With over 25 million children missing at least one vaccination in 2021, outbreaks of preventable diseases, including measles, diphtheria, polio, and yellow fever, are already becoming more prevalent and severe.

The WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Immunization Agenda 2030 aim to reverse the declines in childhood vaccination recorded in over 100 countries since the pandemic.

The 20 countries where three-quarters of the children who missed vaccinations live are Afghanistan, Angola, Brazil, Cameroon, Chad, DPRK, DRC, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Somalia, Madagascar, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Tanzania, Viet Nam.

"Vaccines are a public health triumph," commented Dr. Chris Elias, president of Global Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in a press release on April 24, 2023.

"The incredible progress that has been made toward ending polio and reducing the incidence of infectious diseases is the direct result of thousands of dedicated global partners and local health workers who have worked to immunize millions of children."

"We must double down to reach all children with the vaccines they need to live healthier lives and ensure that future generations live free of preventable diseases like polio."