WHO: Pandemic could have dangerous consequences for children

The coronavirus pandemic in 2020 has led to a significant decrease in the number of routine vaccinations among children, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund reported.

According to the organizations, 23 million children were not routinely immunized in 2020. This is 3.7 million more than a year earlier. 17 million children have not received a single vaccine in the entire year, and even more children risk not receiving further vaccinations.

As countries seek to get their hands on COVID-19 vaccines, we are lagging behind in other vaccinations, leaving children at risk of such devastating but preventable diseases, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The trend has already led to outbreaks of measles, polio, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough, he said. And it remains to be seen what consequences they will have in the future. According to the head of WHO, numerous outbreaks of diseases will be a real disaster for the most vulnerable communities and health systems already fighting COVID-19, so everything possible must be done to ensure normal routine vaccinations for children.

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