Some 67 million children partially or fully missed routine vaccines globally between 2019 and 2021 because of lockdowns and healthcare disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the United Nations said yesterday.<br />'' <br />''More than a decade of hard-earned gains in routine childhood immunization have been eroded, read a new report from the UN's children's agency, UNICEF, adding that getting back on track will be challenging.<br />'' <br />''Of the 67 million children whose vaccinations were severely disrupted, 48 million missed out on routine vaccines entirely, UNICEF said, flagging concerns about potential polio and measles outbreaks.<br />'' <br />''Vaccine coverage among children declined in 112 countries and the percentage of children vaccinated worldwide slipped 5 points to 81 percent, a low not seen since 2008. Africa and South Asia were particularly hard hit.<br />'' <br />''Vaccines save 4.4 million lives each year, a number the United Nations figures could jump to 5.8 million by 2030 if its ambitious targets to leave "no one behind" are met.<br />'' <br />''Vaccines have played a really important role in allowing more children to live healthy, long lives, Brian Keeley, the report's editor-in-chief, told the media.<br />'' <br />''Before the introduction of a vaccine in 1963, measles killed approximately 2.6 million people each year, mostly children. By 2021, that number had fallen to 128,000.<br />'' <br />''The slide in vaccination rates could be compounded by other crises, Keeley warned, from climate change to food insecurity.<br />'' <br />''UNICEF called on governments to double down on their commitment to increase financing for immunization with special attention on accelerating catch-up vaccination efforts for those who missed their shots.<br />