Updated · World Health Organization (WHO) · Apr 24
Gavi, WHO, and UNICEF conclude Big Catch-Up initiative delivering over 100 million childhood vaccines
Updated
Updated · World Health Organization (WHO) · Apr 24
Gavi, WHO, and UNICEF conclude Big Catch-Up initiative delivering over 100 million childhood vaccines
12 articles · Updated · World Health Organization (WHO) · Apr 24
The campaign reached 18.3 million children across 36 countries, including 12.3 million zero-dose children and 15 million lacking measles vaccination, with 23 million polio vaccine doses administered.
The initiative, ending March 2026, is on track to meet its 21 million target, but agencies warn millions of infants still miss routine vaccinations, risking outbreaks of preventable diseases.
The Big Catch-Up addressed pandemic-driven immunization gaps, especially in fragile communities, and emphasized the need for sustained investment in routine immunization to maintain progress and prevent future vaccine-preventable disease surges.
With measles surging globally, are routine immunization programs broken beyond what 'catch-up' campaigns can fix?
Did the global COVID-19 response inadvertently create the very childhood vaccination crisis it now seeks to solve?
How can Africa's new vaccine plants succeed if Gavi, their key buyer, faces a multi-billion dollar funding gap?
Is a 'universal vaccine' nasal spray our best hope against the next pandemic, or a distant scientific dream?
Beyond delivering doses, how can health systems rebuild the public trust shattered by years of pandemic misinformation?