The World Health Organization has said vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past 50 years, as it called for stronger global commitment to immunisation efforts amid widening coverage gaps.
In a statement marking the start of World Immunization Week, the UN health agency said vaccines have protected millions from deadly diseases including measles, diphtheria, pertussis, polio and rotavirus, while recent scientific breakthroughs have expanded protection against malaria, HPV, cholera, dengue, meningitis, RSV, Ebola and mpox.
According to WHO, the milestone comes as the world reaches the midpoint of the Immunisation Agenda, a global strategy aimed at ensuring universal access to life-saving vaccines.
“Over the past five decades, vaccines have transformed global health and saved morey than 150 million lives,” the agency said, stressing that immunisation remains one of the most effective public health interventions.
A progress report released by WHO found that despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical instability, climate-related crises and funding shortages, immunisation programmes have continued to avert millions of deaths.
However, the report warned that many global vaccination targets remain off track, citing persistent gaps in routine immunisation coverage, inequality in access and weak outbreak prevention systems in several countries.
The agency called for renewed political and financial commitments to strengthen national immunisation programmes, improve integration with primary healthcare and boost support from global health partners.
WHO, alongside UNICEF and Gavi, also highlighted progress under “The Big Catch-up,” a global initiative launched to reverse immunisation declines caused largely by the pandemic.
The campaign has reached an estimated 18.3 million children aged one to five across 36 countries since its launch three years ago and delivered 23 million doses of inactivated polio vaccine to unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children.
Health officials said the programme is on course to meet its target of vaccinating at least 21 million children, a major step toward global polio eradication.
WHO Country Representative to Nigeria, Walter Mulombo, reiterated confidence in vaccine safety, noting that every vaccine approved by WHO undergoes a rigorous review process to ensure safety and effectiveness.
“Vaccines are safe and effective,” Mulombo said, adding that scientific evidence continues to support their role in preventing disease outbreaks and saving lives.
Public health experts say the message of this year’s World Immunisation Week is clear: expanding access to vaccines remains critical to global health security.
