UNICEF raises alarm over dramatic fall in childhood immunization rates

A new report from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) shows that immunization rates are in crisis, with 67 million children missing out on life-saving vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases are now on the rise, and it’s getting harder to play catch-up, as a surge in misinformation has dented the public’s confidence in the importance and efficacy of childhood shots. UNICEF’s Global Head of Advocacy, Lily Caprani, has been talking to Dominika Tomaszewska-Mortimer about restoring vaccine confidence, and what needs to be done to accelerate immunization efforts now.