State of the world's vaccines and immunization. Third edition
Key messages - Chapter 1
Jean-Marc Giboux
- Immunization is key to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially the goal to reduce deaths among children under five years old (MDG 4).
- Vaccines prevent more than 2.5 million child deaths a year.
- Available vaccines could prevent an additional two million deaths a year among children under five years old.
- The introduction of new vaccines against pneumococcal disease and rotavirus could have a rapid impact – within three to five years – on reducing the high toll of sickness, disability, and deaths among children under five years old.
- Over 100 million children are immunized every year before their first birthday.
- Around 24 million children under one year old – almost 20% of the children born every year – are not being reached with vaccines.