Particle.news
Download on the App Store

UN Catch-Up Drive Delivers 100 Million Child Vaccine Doses

Funding cuts plus online disinformation now threaten the gains.

A view shows The World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, January 28, 2025. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

Overview

  • WHO, UNICEF and Gavi said the Big Catch-Up has delivered more than 100 million doses to 18.3 million children and closed in March on track to reach 21 million.
  • The campaign focused on children aged one to five in 36 countries and aimed to restore routine shots disrupted during the pandemic.
  • Officials reported 12.3 million children with no previous vaccines were reached and 15 million children received a first measles shot.
  • The agencies said the effort strengthened immunisation programs by improving how health systems find older children who missed earlier doses.
  • Leaders warned that foreign-aid cuts and social media-driven false claims are eroding vaccine confidence, with measles cases reaching about 11 million in 2024.