Between 2019 and 2021, 67 million children were partially or completely deprived of vital vaccines due to the repercussions of Covid-19 , which set the world back more than ten years in terms of vaccinating children , as the United Nations warned.

Within three years, due to pressures on health systems or closures related to the pandemic, "more than a decade of progress in routine immunization of children has been wiped out," and "getting back on the right track will be a challenge," as a UNICEF report stressed, fearing the risks of a measles epidemic. or polio.

The United Nations agency said coverage had declined in 112 countries. Between 2019 and 2021, the global vaccination rate for children fell five percentage points to 81%, a level not seen since 2008. 67 million children missed vaccinations, especially in Africa and South Asia, while 48 million did not receive any doses at all.

"Vaccines have played a very important role in allowing children to live long, healthy lives," Brian Kelly, who oversaw the drafting of the report, told AFP.

Vaccination of children allows saving 4.4 million human lives annually, and this number may reach about 5.8 million if the world reaches by 2030 to reduce the number of children deprived of the main vaccines in half by 2030, and to reach 90% coverage in terms of vital vaccines.