Eight Countries Contain Most Zero-Dose Children

Overall, global coverage for vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, polio, and tuberculosis nearly doubled from 1980 to 2023.

However, this long-term trend masks recent challenges.

To achieve 90% global coverage for life-course vaccines, we must accelerate progress to reach current estimates of zero-dose children.

As of June 24, 2025, most zero-dose children remain concentrated in regions with various resource constraints that limit the availability of vaccination services.

This analysis, published in The Lancet, discloses that, as of 2023, more than 50% of the 15.7 million global zero-dose children reside in eight countries: Nigeria, India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Indonesia, and Brazil.

These researchers wrote, 'findings underscore the crucial need for targeted, equitable immunisation strategies, strengthening primary health-care systems, and adapting to local contexts are essential to advancing coverage.'