9L zero-dose children in India in '24: UN report

INDIA has over nine lakh children who did not receive a single shot of any routine vaccination in 2024, said a new national immunisation coverage data released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF on Tuesday.

- Kavita Bajeli-Datt @ New Delhi

India recorded the second-highest number of 'zero-dose' children - defined as those who lack access to or are never reached by routine immunisation services - after Nigeria (2.1 million). However, in what is seen as some good news, Dr Vivek Singh, Chief of Health, UNICEF, said, "India's vaccine-wise immunisation coverage surpasses global averages across all vaccines. India saw the largest decline from 15,92,000 zero-dose children in 2023 to 9,09,000 in 2024."

"The vast improvements in coverage reflect India's strong national leadership and commitment to immunisation as a public health priority and its vision where every child is protected from vaccine-preventable diseases," he told this paper.