Skip to main content
UNICEF USA
      • Children's Education
      • Every Child Educated
      • Child-Friendly Schools
      • Equity
      • Girls' Education
      • Kids In Need of Desks (K.I.N.D.)
      • Learning Passport
      • Children's Health
      • Every Child Healthy
      • Breastfeeding
      • Immunization
        • Immunization
        • COVID-19
        • Ebola
        • HIV/AIDS
        • Measles
        • Polio
        • Tetanus
        • Immunization Partners
      • Mental Health
      • Nutrition
      • Water
      • Children's Protection
      • Every Child Protected
      • Child Migrants & Refugees
      • Child Trafficking
      • Respect for Children
      • Every Child Respected
      • Child Friendly Cities
      • Children with Disabilities
      • Children's Rights
      • Gender Equality
      • Innovation
      • Emergency Response
      • Relief for Every Child
      • Child Poverty
      • Climate Change
      • Conflict
      • Earthquakes
      • Food Crises
      • UNICEF Supply Division
      • Weather Disasters
      • Where UNICEF Works
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Europe
      • Middle East
      • North America
      • South America
      • Careers
      • Open Positions
    • Diversity, Racial Equity & Belonging
      • Finances
      • Annual Report
      • Financial Disclosure
      • Leadership
      • National Board of Directors
      • National Advisory Council
      • Leadership Team
      • Regional Boards
      • Next Gen
      • Youth Leadership
      • Partnerships
      • Companies
      • Foundations
      • Humanitarian Organizations
        • Humanitarian Organizations
        • Faith Based Partnerships
        • Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, Inc.
        • Sudanese American Medical Association
        • Together Women Rise
        • Together for Girls
        • Advanced Remarketing Services
        • Delta Sigma Theta Society
        • Diaspora Partnerships
        • General Federation of Women's Clubs
        • Global Giving
        • Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America
        • Kiwanis International
        • National Arab American Medical Association
        • Nova Ukraine
        • Rotary International
        • Sacred Heart Schools Chicago
        • The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International
        • Zonta International
      • Our Supporters
    • UNICEF USA and UNICEF
      • Advocate
      • How We Work
      • Donate
      • Donate Monthly
      • Every Child Fund
      • IMPACT Fund for Children
      • Mercury Fund
      • Donors & Philanthropists
      • Joint Investment Mechanism
      • Donor-Advised Funds
      • Fundraise
      • Fundraiser and Event Resources
      • Start an Online Fundraiser
      • Events
    • Impact Investing
    • UNICEF Clubs
    • Ways To Give

Utility Menu

  • Shop
  • Sign In
Donate Now Give Monthly
UNICEF Immunization

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. What UNICEF Does
  3. Children's Health

Every Child
Protected from Deadly Diseases

Vaccines save lives. UNICEF works with partners to make sure all children have access to routine immunizations.

Help Now

Help Now

Immunization: a global success story

Immunization — a pillar of UNICEF's global mission for children — is considered one of the most successful and cost-effective health interventions in human history.

As the largest single vaccine buyer in the world, UNICEF has helped reach more than 760 million children with lifesaving vaccines since 2000, preventing more than 13 million deaths.

Thanks to vaccination campaigns and related programs spearheaded by UNICEF and partners, polio is on the verge of being eradicated. All but 12 countries have eliminated maternal and neonatal tetanus. And vaccination remains the world's best chance of defeating COVID-19.

In 2020, UNICEF was tapped by COVAX to lead equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. By the end of 2022, 1.89 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses had been shipped through COVAX to 146 primarily low- and middle-income countries.

Getting children vaccinated takes teamwork

The success of UNICEF's global immunization efforts would not be possible without teamwork: without doctors, nurses, scientists, parents, educators, governments, civil society groups and other partners coming together to get shots into the smallest arms.

There are still gaps to fill. Not every child gets fully vaccinated on schedule and as recommended by the World Health Organization. Conflict, displacement and poverty can impede access, leaving tens of millions of children around the world unprotected against preventable diseases like measles, whooping cough and pneumonia. 

Vaccine hesitancy — fueled by vaccine myths and misinformation — is another barrier that UNICEF and partners counter through public education campaigns and with help from community mobilizers.

When vaccination rates drop, the risks of deadly disease outbreaks go up

The COVID-19 pandemic widely disrupted vaccination efforts — among other critical services for children — sharply increasing the number of children who missed out. When immunization coverage drops, diseases that were previously under control can come back. 

Immunization provides a foundation for good health at the start of life and puts children on a path toward a healthier, more productive future. 

Learn more about efforts by UNICEF and its partners to improve immunization rates globally.

UNICEF won’t stop protecting children. A contribution of $51 is enough to protect 50 children from measles. Donate today.

Recommended Stories

In Bertoua, eastern Cameroon, 23-year-old Houreratou Abdoulay cuddles her youngest child Awaou.

First Malaria Vaccines Arrive in Cameroon

With several other African nations set to receive doses in coming months, UNICEF heralds the start of a new era in immunization and malaria control.

Reshma is a UNICEF-supported community health worker in Pakistan.

Community Health Workers on the Front Lines in the Fight Against Polio

Community health workers play a key role as Pakistan strives for a polio-free future for every child.

A mother puts her baby to sleep under an anti-malarial bednet provided by UNICEF at their home in Kabingo village, Ntungamo district, Uganda.

UNICEF Prepares Major Rollout of Lifesaving Malaria Vaccine

A major step forward in the global fight against one of the leading causes of death for vulnerable children under 5.

Nine-month-old Lwisani is held by her mother prior to receiving a dose of measles and rubella vaccine at Catambor Health Centre in Luanda, Angola

Reaching Zero-Dose Children in Angola With Lifesaving Vaccinations

Angola was 1 of 10 countries with the highest number of unvaccinated children in 2022. A nationwide campaign is helping to turn the tide.

On June 5, 2023, Ibtisam Abdullah, a vaccinator at Gezirat Al-Feel Health Center in Sudan vaccinates a child at a shelter for displaced people.

Vaccination Hero on the Front Lines in Sudan

Immunization specialist Ibtisam Abdullah Altayeb and colleagues are working to reach every child with lifesaving vaccines.

In Coban, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, mothers hold their children, ages 0 to 3.

Stand Up for Moms and Children Everywhere This Mother's Day

Helping mothers and children in need makes the world a better place for everyone.

See all

Main navigation

  • What Unicef Does
    • Children's Education
    • Children's Health
    • Children's Protection
    • Respect for Children
    • Emergency Response
    • Where UNICEF Works
  • About UNICEF USA
    • Careers
    • Diversity, Racial Equity & Belonging
    • Finances
    • Leadership
    • Partnerships
    • UNICEF USA and UNICEF
  • How to Help
    • Advocate
    • Donate
    • Fundraise
    • Impact Investing
    • UNICEF Clubs
    • Ways To Give

Footer

  • Media Hub
  • Stories of UNICEF in Action
  • Manage Cookies
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
UNICEF USA
(800) 367-5437  |  125 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038.
©2023 U.S. Fund for UNICEF d/b/a UNICEF USA. All Rights Reserved.
U.S. Fund for UNICEF d/b/a UNICEF USA is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Gifts are deductible to the full extent allowable under IRS regulations.

Subfoot Menu

  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • SMS Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Linking Agreement
  • FAQ
  • Jobs