UNICEF: 12.7 million children in Africa missed vaccinations

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME
Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A new report from UNICEF says nearly 13 million children missed one or more vaccinations in Africa between 2019 and 2021 because of the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation has left the continent vulnerable to even more outbreaks of disease and facing a “child survival crisis.” The report released Thursday confirms there was a global “backslide” in childhood immunization over those three years. That’s the worst regression for childhood vaccinations in 30 years. Africa has the highest number of unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children. UNICEF says 12.7 million African children missed at least one vaccination and 8.7 million didn’t receive a single dose from 2019-2021.