Global health agencies have issued a “red alert” on children’s health as trends like rapidly rising rates of severe malnutrition and COVID-19 disruptions have combined to drive down childhood vaccination levels to their lowest in decades.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, the United Nations-affiliated children’s charity, jointly said on July 15 that the world has seen the biggest sustained drop in childhood vaccinations in around 30 years.
“This is a red alert for child health. We are witnessing the largest sustained drop in childhood immunization in a generation. The consequences will be measured in lives,” Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director, said in a statement….