WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- There has been a decrease in childhood vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations says.
A May survey of 82 countries suggests that there is less than a 20 percent chance that a child born today will have all recommended vaccines by the age of 5.
More than 30 measles campaigns around the world have been or are at risk for being halted, which is likely to worsen outbreaks of the highly contagious disease.
"The avoidable suffering and death caused by children missing out on routine immunizations could be far greater than COVID-19 itself," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "But it doesn't have to be that way. Vaccines can be delivered safely even during the pandemic, and we are calling on countries to ensure these essential life-saving programs continue."
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