India accounts for 6.4% of unvaccinated children: UN

India constituted 6.4 per cent of the global population of children who did not receive a single dose of any vaccine in 2024, according to a United Nations report.

The new national immunisation coverage data released on Monday by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF also highlighted that “India accounted for 49.2% of zero-dose children in South Asia”, as per statistics from the Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA).

The term “zero-dose children” refers to those who have not received any routine immunisations, including the first dose of the DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) vaccine. This metric is a critical indicator of access to immunisation services and overall healthcare infrastructure.

Gavi said nearly half (4.9 million) of all the 10.2 million zero-dose children in lower-income countries live in five populous nations — Nigeria, DR Congo, India, Pakistan, and Ethiopia.

DTP1 coverage stood at 87 per cent in 2024 – nearly recovered from a four percentage point decrease during the Covid pandemic.