NEW DELHI: India has over 6 lakh children who did not receive a single shot of any routine vaccination in 2025, according to the annual WHO-UNICEF estimates of National Immunisation Coverage (WUENIC), released on Wednesday.
However, India has made significant progress in improving access to vaccines, as the number of zero-dose children, defined as those who lack access to or are never reached by routine immunisation services, dipped from 9,09,000 in 2024 to 6,79,000 in 2025.
In 2023, India had 15,92,000 zero-dose children.
Also, for the first time since WUENIC estimates were first published in 2001, India no longer appears in the list of the top 10 countries with the most unvaccinated children against measles.
This underscores the outstanding progress in India's Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI) over the last decade and is a testament to the country’s commitment to universal vaccination, said officials.
To reach more children, India has launched targeted campaigns for zero-dose children in urban slums, migratory populations, hard-to-reach areas, and communities affected by vaccine hesitancy, officials told this paper.
Through these efforts, 95% of children are fully protected against DTP (DTP3) and measles (MCV2).
According to the report, in 2025, 90% of infants globally – or nearly 116 million – received at least one dose of a diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine, and 85% – or 110 million – completed the full three-dose series.
While both indicators rose by one percentage point from the previous year, global coverage remains one point below 2019 levels – hovering within the same narrow range since 2009.
According to the data, an estimated 13.5 million “zero-dose” children did not receive a single vaccine in their first year during 2025. While these represent nearly 7,50 000 fewer children than the previous year, progress is offset by a rising number of children who start the schedule and do not complete it.
Globally, 7.3 million infants are estimated to have received their first DTP dose but dropped out before receiving their first measles dose. This drop-out rate contributed to stalled measles coverage, with 84% of children receiving the first measles dose (MCV1) and 77% receiving the second dose (MCV2).
Both figures fall far short of the 95% threshold required to prevent outbreaks of this highly contagious virus. Consequently, 57 countries reported large or disruptive measles outbreaks in 2025.
“Governments and health workers have helped global vaccination rates bounce back after dropping significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
"But millions of vulnerable children are still being left unprotected due to conflict, displacement, and poverty. We must reach every child, and we must rebuild trust where it is fraying. No child should suffer from a disease that a simple vaccine can prevent.”
Data from 195 countries show that 100 countries have maintained at least 90% coverage with three doses of the DTP vaccine since 2019, with little progress in expanding this group.
Of the countries below 90% coverage in 2019, 30 improved their rates over the past six years, but 65 countries are stagnating or falling behind, including 13 fragile, conflict-affected or vulnerable countries (FCV).
Compared to their 2019 baselines, the Americas and South-East Asia have fully recovered and improved their performance, with the latter now the highest-performing region.
While Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Europe regions saw gains last year, their coverage remains below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. In contrast, the Western Pacific experienced a decline, leaving the region furthest below its 2019 baseline.
“Every child, whether born into wealth or poverty, peace or conflict, deserves the life-giving protection that vaccines provide. Immunization is one of the most cost-effective, most equitable, and most reliable interventions for protecting children’s health and well-being,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
“Our greatest security begins with ensuring that everyone, wherever they may live, is protected from deadly diseases that vaccines have the power to prevent.”
Over the past 25 years, sustained investments from governments and partners, commitments from communities, strengthened programmes, and broad public trust have reduced the annual number of zero-dose children by 40%.
“The historic levels of immunisation that we are seeing across lower-income countries show what can be achieved when all stakeholders work together towards a shared objective,” said Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
“As Gavi heads into a new five-year period, our great challenge now will be to maintain this momentum in the face of funding constraints, geopolitical uncertainty, and increasing outbreaks – while working harder to reach those children who still do not have access to immunisation.”
WHO and UNICEF are working with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and other partners to deliver the global Immunisation Agenda 2030 (IA2030) goal to ensure vaccines reach everyone, everywhere, at every age, yet the world is further off track to reach the global target of reducing the number of zero-dose children.
To make this sharp course correction and bridge the critical gap, WHO and UNICEF call on governments and relevant partners to strengthen immunization in conflict and fragile settings to reach and retain children; counter false and misleading health information and fully support vaccine uptake acceleration; increase and sustain domestic and global funding for immunization programmes and partnerships, including Gavi; and invest in stronger data and disease surveillance systems to drive and guide high-impact immunization programme strengthening efforts.