WHO launches "Big Catch-up" to vaccinate children post-pandemic

A new drive to vaccinate millions of children was announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday.

"The Big Catch-Up" aims at restoring vaccination progress lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The pandemic saw essential immunization levels decrease in over 100 countries, leading to rising outbreaks of measles, diphtheria, polio and yellow fever," said the WHO. "The Big Catch-up" is an extended effort to lift vaccination levels among children to at least pre-pandemic levels, and endeavors to exceed those.

WHO and partners including the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Vaccine Alliance, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are joining forces to work on the project.

Declines in childhood vaccination have been recorded in over 100 countries since the pandemic, due to overburdened health services, closed clinics, and disrupted imports and exports of vials, syringes and other medical supplies.

With over 25 million children missing at least one vaccination in 2021 alone, outbreaks of preventable diseases, including measles, diphtheria, polio and yellow fever have intensified.

"Millions of children and adolescents, particularly in lower-income countries, have missed out on life-saving vaccinations, while outbreaks of these deadly diseases have risen," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO's director-general.

WHO is now supporting dozens of countries to restore immunization and other essential health services.

The Big Catch-up will focus particularly on the 20 countries where three quarters of children missed vaccinations in 2021.