WEB DESK
United Nations has said that almost 20 million children missed out on potentially life-saving vaccinations in 2018.
This comes as surging measles cases highlighted dangerous gaps in efforts to shield kids from preventable illness. In an annual report issued in Geneva, the World Health Organization and the UNICEF said last year, 19.4 million children were not fully vaccinated, up from 18.7 million in 2017 and about 18.5 million in 2016. The two agencies said this all pointed to a dangerous stagnation of global vaccination rates, due to conflict, inequality and complacency.
UNICEF Chief Henrietta Fore said some 350,000 measles cases were reported globally last year — more than double the 2017 number. She said this is a real-time indicator of the quest to expand vaccine coverage.
In April, the WHO said 2019 was set to be worse, with preliminary data showing reported measles cases in the first quarter 300 times higher than the same period in 2018.