As a student of public health, I often ponder over health inequity and how these barriers can be reduced. Even before the pandemic, the world experienced health inequity due to many reasons, including lack of financial resources, inadequate health infrastructure, lack of education, and existing racism in our communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened many of these conditions.
One example of this is with global childhood immunization. Per UNICEF, the world has seen the largest sustained decline in childhood vaccinations in approximately 30 years with 25 million children missing routine vaccination in 2021 alone. This is not to forget the recent detections of polio in London and New York, which has alarmed the world and reminded us that an outbreak anywhere is a threat everywhere.
Children who do not have access to vaccinations are more likely to get sick and die from infectious diseases, like rotavirus, measles, pneumonia, and polio. Per a CDC report, the global immunization coverage dropped down to 81% in 2021, which is the lowest rate in over the decade. 18 million “zero-dose” children did not receive any vaccines –– the highest reported number since 2005. Vaccination is crucial and as we end World Immunization Week (April 24-30), I urge you to contact Sens. Richard Blumenthal(D-Conn.) and Christopher Murphy (D-Conn.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) to ask them to fully fund global vaccination programs. Join the call, vaccines for al