New Delhi, July 19 :  The Global immunization services reached 4 million more children in 2022 compared to the previous year, according to the data of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday.

According to data published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, “In 2022, 20.5 million children missed out on one or more vaccines delivered through routine immunization services, compared to 24.4 million children in 2021”.

It said, “In spite of this improvement, the number remains higher than the 18.4 million children who missed out in 2019 before pandemic-related disruptions”.

Talking about the vaccine against Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DTP), it is used for global immunization coverage, the report said, “Of the 20.5 million children who missed out on one or more doses of their DTP vaccines in 2022, 14.3 million children did not receive a single dose, so-called zero-dose children”.

“The figure represents an improvement from the 18.1 million zero-dose children in 2021 but remains higher than the 12.9 million children in 2019″ it said.

“These data are encouraging, and a tribute to those who have worked so hard to restore life-saving immunization services after two years of sustained decline in immunization coverage,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

“But global and regional averages don’t tell the whole story and mask severe and persistent inequities. When countries and regions lag, children pay the price” he added.

Releasing the comparative date of the immunization process in different countries the report said, “Of the 73 countries that recorded substantial declines in coverage during the pandemic, 15 recovered to pre-pandemic levels, 24 are on route to recovery and, most concerning, 34 have stagnated or continued declining”.

On the vaccination against measles, the report mentioned that the additional 35.2 million children are at risk of measles infection.

First dose measles coverage increased to 83 per cent in 2022 from 81 per cent in 2021 but remained lower than the 86 per cent achieved in 2019″.

The report also talked about the HPV vaccination, saying that, “For the first time, HPV vaccination coverage surpassed pre-pandemic levels which began pre-pandemic and reached the same number of girls in 2022 than 2019”.

“However, coverage in 2019 was well below the 90% target, and this has remained true in 2022, with mean coverages in HPV programmes reaching 67% in high income countries and 55% in low- and middle-income countries” the report added.