Child immunization during COVID-19

• WHO and UNICEF warn of a decline in vaccinations during COVID-19
  Produced by WHO
  Providing routine vaccination during COVID-19 has become challenging and risked a decline in the number of children receiving life-saving vaccines around the world.
• The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Erased Decades of Progress on Childhood Vaccination
  Produced by Time
  The number of children vaccinated against infections like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles and pneumococcal disease has decreased drastically since the COVID-19 pandemic started.
• Routine Vaccination During the COVID-19 Outbreak
  Produced by CDC
  Routine child vaccinations need to continue despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Key messages from the CDC on routine vaccination during COVID-19.
• Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore on the disruption of immunization and basic health services due to the COVID-19 pandemic
  Produced by UNICEF
  This statement released by UNICEF’s ExD Henrietta Fore highlights that urgency of ensuring immunization and basic health services during COVID-19.
• More than 117 million children at risk of missing out on measles vaccines, as COVID-19 surges
  This press release highlights the impact of COVID-19 on routine childhood immunization.
• WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 27 April 2020
  Produced by WHO
  Remarks by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus include vaccine coverage during COVID-19.
• Hard fought gains in immunization coverage at risk without critical health services, warns WHO
  Produced by: WHO
  Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “While the world strives to develop a new vaccine for COVID-19 at record speed, we must not risk losing the fight to protect everyone, everywhere against vaccine-preventable diseases. These diseases will come roaring back if we do not vaccinate.”
• Secretary-General's statement on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on Children
  Produced by: UN
  Statement by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the impact of COVID-19 on Children includes key messages and challenges being faced around routine childhood immunization.
• Immediate Steps to Safeguard Progress for Every Woman, Child and Adolescent: Women’s Leadership in the COVID-19 Response to Protect Every Woman and Every Child
  Produced by: EWEC
  This document highlights the main outcomes and key messages from the virtual event, the EWEC High-level Roundtable which identified 14 actions to respond to the acute challenges resulting from the pandemic, and included a focus on child health and immunization.
• Life-saving vaccinations must not ‘fall victim’ to COVID-19 pandemic – UNICEF chief
  Produced by: UN
  This article by the UN News highlights key challenges to routine childhood immunization during COVID-19 and the threats to progress made in previous years, especially in countries already facing challenges in immunization.

• Routine immunization services during the COVID-19 pandemic
  Produced by: WHO
  An interruption of routine immunization services during COVID-19 may lead to a secondary crisis with vaccine preventable diseases. This document provides guidance to support the continuity of routine immunization while mitigating the risks of COVID-19.
• Guidance on routine immunization services during COVID-19 pandemic in the WHO European Region
  Produced by: WHO/Europe
  The document provides guidelines to sustain safe routine immunization services, with flexibility and adaptability based on the evolvement of the COVID-19 virus.
• Guiding principles for immunization activities during the COVID-19 pandemic
  Produced by: WHO
  This document provides guiding principles and considerations to support countries in their decision-making regarding provision of immunization services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Maintaining essential health services: operational guidance for the COVID-19 context
  Produced by: WHO
  Maintaining essential services despite the COVID-19 pandemic remains critical. Immunization is one of the several essential services that should not be stopped even with the challenges faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic (p.44)
• Policy brief: The impact of COVID-19 on children
  Produced by: UN
  This policy brief highlights the impact of COVID-19 on child health and wellbeing, including the impact on routine child immunizations and vaccine-preventable diseases in children. It also calls for the prioritization and continuity of child-centered immunization services
• Immunization Agenda 2030: A Global Strategy to Leave No One Behind
  Produced by: WHO
  A new global vision and strategy, called the Immunization Agenda 2030 endorsed by the World Health Assembly envisions a world where everyone, everywhere, at every age, fully benefits from vaccines to improve health and well-being

• Immunization in the context of COVID-19 pandemic
  Produced by: WHO and UNICEF
  Immunizations are an essential health service that protects susceptible individuals from vaccine-preventable diseases. These FAQs accompany WHO’s Guiding principles for immunization activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and respond to critical questions when it comes to immunization activities in the context of COVID-19.
• Q&A on vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic
  Produced by: UNICEF & WHO
  The document provides guidance to prevent potential risk of outbreak of vaccine preventable diseases as a result of non-sustained routine immunization.
• Routine vaccinations during COVID-19: What parents need to know
  Produced by: UNICEF
  This Q & A addresses key questions related to the continuity of routine vaccination for children, availability of COVID-19 vaccine and other related questions.

• Immunization continues amid COVID19
  Produced by: UNICEF
  ‘The disruption of the expanded programme on immunization will increase the risk of child morbidity and mortality,’ says Dr. Sanjay Bhardwaj, Immunization Manager, UNICEF Afghanistan. ‘Routine immunization is critical in saving the lives of children.’
• Scaling up routine immunization amidst Covid 19
  Produced by: UNICEF
  The polio programme’s support of routine immunization in Afghanistan has made important gains, especially in eastern Afghanistan, in the areas bordering Pakistan. Polio social mobilizers from the UNICEF-run Immunization Communication Network (ICN), support mother and child health referral services, and help families keep track of their children’s health records.
• Delivering life-saving vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic
  Produced by: UNICEF
  The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the delivery of immunization services. Almost 80 million children under age of 1 are at risk of vaccine preventable diseases.
• Lifesaving immunization services continue for children in Democratic Republic of Korea (DPR Korea)
  Produced by: UNICEF
  DPR Korea is one of the countries that did not have any vaccine shortage issues amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
• UNICEF supports the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in continuing immunization in North Kivu during COVID-19
  Produced by: UNICEF
  Since January 2020, there were 3167 cases of measles reported in North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A measle outbreak response vaccination campaign was initiated in North Kivu province.
• At least 80 million children under one at risk of diseases such as diphtheria, measles and polio as COVID-19 disrupts routine vaccination efforts, warn Gavi, WHO and UNICEF
  Produced by: UNICEF, GAVI, WHO
  "Immunization is one of the most powerful and fundamental disease prevention tools in the history of public health," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "Disruption to immunization programmes from the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to unwind decades of progress against vaccine-preventable diseases like measles."
• Geneva Palais briefing note on the impact of COVID-19 mitigation measures on vaccine supply and logistics
  Produced by: UNICEF
  The COVID-19 lockdown has presented unprecedented logistical challenges to the supply of vaccines. This resulted in a deficiency in some countries to receive vaccines thus risking a decrease in routine immunization. UNICEF is working with other stakeholders to ensure the availability of life-saving vaccines.

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