10 Facts about Vaccination
Vaccinations became a major global focus during the COVID-19 pandemic, but for decades they have been transforming the lives of children and communities – especially in the world’s toughest places. Today, more than 20 vaccines are available to protect children from preventable diseases.
Want to learn more? Here are 10 key facts about immunisation:
- Vaccines save and improve millions of lives every year
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccines prevent between 3.5 and 5 million deaths each year from preventable but life-threatening diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza, and measles.
Yet millions of children still die from preventable causes. Expanding access to vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to help children survive and thrive. That’s why vaccination is a core part of child sponsorship, providing simple, cost-effective protection for children to survive those early years and live longer, healthier lives as adults.
2) Vaccines bring economic, social, and health benefits
Healthier kids are more likely to attend school, learn more, and build better futures. Healthier adults are more productive, spending more within the local economy and less on healthcare. There are social benefits too, especially for women, who are often the caregivers when family members are sick.
You may not have thought about it, but immunisation supports gender equality. By reducing the burden of caregiving, it frees up time and opportunities for women. At the same time, gender equality is a driver of immunisation – when women are educated and empowered, their children are more likely to be vaccinated – creating a powerful cycle of impact.
3) Vaccine hesitancy is not new
While the COVID-19 pandemic brought vaccine hesitancy into the spotlight, it’s not a new conversation. Concerns and misinformation about vaccines have existed for decades and contribute to the number of under-vaccinated people around the world.
Providing accurate information and building trust through community engagement are essential to ensuring families can make informed decisions about immunisation.
4) The pandemic disrupted routine immunisation
COVID-19 disrupted essential health services worldwide, including routine childhood vaccinations, which is among the top global threats to public health. In 2021 alone, an estimated 25 million children missed routine immunisation for diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (WHO, UNICEF), and vaccination rates have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. Rebuilding and strengthening immunisation systems is critical to preventing future outbreaks.
5) Diseases like polio are at risk of returning
Global efforts have drastically reduced polio cases – from 350,000 annually in 1998 to just 33 in 2018 – thanks to vaccination. As a result, an estimated 18 million people can walk today who might otherwise have been paralysed.
However, pandemic-related disruptions have led to renewed outbreaks of polio. Continued investment in vaccination is essential to achieve eradication.
6) There’s nothing equal about vaccine distribution
Despite the proven benefits of vaccines, access is still deeply unequal. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many high-income countries reached high vaccination coverage while some low-income countries had zero or very low coverage as they struggled to access doses.
Addressing this inequity is critical to protecting global health and preventing avoidable deaths. This is why vaccine coverage is a standard for sponsored children.
7) The most vulnerable are hardest hit
Children living in poverty or fragile settings face the greatest barriers to vaccination - many receiving no vaccinations at all (referred to as zero-dose children) and the highest risks from preventable diseases and poor health, like the loss of income or the high costs of unsubsidised medication.
Ensuring equitable access to vaccines is a critical way that child sponsors are helping to even the score. Alongside support to improve nutrition, education, water and sanitation, life skills, and other essential services, helping children become healthier is a catalyst to break the cycle of poverty and support long-term wellbeing.
8) Vaccination isn’t the only health solution kids need
Vaccines are most effective when combined with other health and nutrition interventions. Undernutrition, which contributes to nearly half of all deaths in children under 5, can weaken immune responses and reduce vaccine effectiveness. When malnourished children get sick, they face a higher risk of infection because their bodies aren’t working at full strength, or their bodies are too weak to activate the immune response offered by vaccines.
That’s why integrated, holistic solutions are key to improving child health outcomes – and that’s exactly what World Vision’s immunisation programming and child sponsorship model does.
9) Conflict and instability make vaccination harder
Children living in countries affected by conflict and instability are among the least likely to be vaccinated. Damaged health systems, insecurity, and limited resources all contribute to low rates of vaccination coverage. This makes outbreaks of disease more common and harder to contain, making children even more vulnerable in the places that are least equipped to cope.
Protecting children’s long-term health through vaccination and other interventions is just one of the many flow-on effects of child sponsorship’s work to strengthen community cohesion to prevent conflict. World Vision is also at work in many fragile contexts and active conflict zones, helping children survive the immediate threats as well as the longer-term ones using tools like vaccines.
10) Vaccination is an investment in global well-being
Vaccines are one of the most cost-effective health interventions. They not only protect individuals and communities, but also support economic growth and development. The benefits far outweigh the costs of administering vaccination, especially since they are lower than they have ever been. And the impact is global.
Immunisation contributes to 14 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, making it a cornerstone of global progress. Together, we are helping children thrive, and giving whole communities the chance to unlock a healthier future.
A healthier future for every child
Imagine a world where every child has the chance to grow up healthy. Expanding access to vaccines – alongside nutrition, clean water, and quality healthcare – can help make that vision a reality.