Imagine a world without vaccines. A world where diseases we thought were relics of the past make a terrifying comeback, overwhelming hospitals and devastating families. This isn't a dystopian fantasy; it's a very real threat if we falter in our commitment to immunization. 2025 has been a year of both remarkable progress and stark reminders of the challenges that lie ahead. Let's delve into what the World Health Organization's Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals has to report.
As 2025 concludes, it's clear that immunization remains one of humanity's most powerful tools for safeguarding public health. It acts as a shield, protecting millions each year from debilitating illnesses and premature death. This past year served as a potent reminder of the transformative power of vaccines and the critical importance of our collective, global efforts to extend these life-saving benefits to every corner of the world, reaching every child, adolescent, and adult, irrespective of their location.
Despite navigating a complex landscape marked by geopolitical tensions, strained healthcare systems, and the concerning rise of anti-vaccine misinformation, the global immunization community forged ahead on several crucial fronts. These accomplishments underscore the remarkable potential that emerges when scientific evidence, collaborative partnerships, and a shared sense of purpose converge.
Measles Deaths Plummet, But Complacency is the Enemy
The latest WHO measles report paints a compelling picture of the impact of immunization. Since 2000, global measles deaths have plummeted by an impressive 88%. This is a monumental achievement, a testament to the power of vaccines. But here's where it gets controversial... the report also highlights a worrying trend: surges in large, disruptive outbreaks across various regions. This reveals persistent immunity gaps, even within countries boasting high national coverage, particularly at the subnational level.
These outbreaks underscore the critical importance of sustained surveillance, rapid outbreak response, and robust catch-up vaccination programs. In a stark reminder of this fragility, the Americas, in November, tragically lost its hard-won measles elimination verification for the second time, following the re-establishment of endemic measles transmission in Canada. Currently, the US and Mexico are racing against the clock, facing a 12-month deadline to halt endemic measles transmission and secure their national measles elimination status. Both countries are working tirelessly to control ongoing outbreaks.
Even amidst these challenges, significant strides are being made. A remarkable 96 countries have now eliminated endemic measles. Notably, the Pacific Island countries, along with Cabo Verde, Mauritius, and Seychelles, which just this month became the first nations in the WHO African Region to achieve verification, demonstrate the power of strong political commitment, high measles vaccine coverage, and resilient surveillance systems. These serve as shining examples of what can be achieved with dedicated effort.
Malaria Vaccines: A Game Changer, But Funding is Key
The rollout of malaria vaccines gained significant momentum in 2025. Twenty-four countries in Africa now offer malaria vaccines as part of their childhood immunization programs and national malaria control plans. This is a monumental step forward. Over 10 million children are now targeted annually, offering them protection against this deadly disease. And this is the part most people miss... While this represents substantial progress, most countries are operating below their national scale-up targets due to limited funding. This highlights a critical bottleneck in our fight against malaria.
The recent announcement by both malaria vaccine manufacturers of future price reductions for malaria vaccine doses is a welcome development. This will be a critical step in improving affordability, once these prices take effect.
WHO’s World Malaria Report 2025 emphasizes that progress against malaria faces considerable challenges, including the emergence of drug and insecticide resistance. Increasing access to life-saving malaria vaccines for children is a key intervention, providing immunologic protection that complements case management, vector control, and chemoprevention. These four approaches, working in harmony, are essential to alleviate the unacceptably high burden of malaria that continues to plague children, families, and countries, bringing us closer to a healthier future for all.
Tuberculosis Vaccines: A Century in the Making
In November, WHO released a landmark report laying out the compelling case for bold, coordinated action to ensure financing and equitable access to what are hoped to be the first new TB vaccines in over a century. The report outlines the pathways needed to accelerate innovative financing instruments and actions to enable access to these novel vaccines, which are currently undergoing advanced clinical trials. This brings the world closer to significantly reducing the heavy global burden of tuberculosis.
Meningitis: A United Front Against a Devastating Disease
2025 marked a year of major progress in global efforts to combat meningitis. WHO released its first global guidelines for meningitis diagnosis, treatment, and care – a significant step toward faster detection, better clinical management, and stronger support for those affected. Member States reaffirmed their commitment to the Defeating Meningitis by 2030 roadmap, and a recent partner meeting helped align priorities and reinforce multisectoral collaboration.
Momentum is also building towards a Group B Streptococcus vaccine, a potential breakthrough for protecting mothers and newborns. With new guidelines, strengthened surveillance, and advancing vaccines, countries are now better positioned to reduce meningitis cases, deaths, and long-term disabilities.
Polio-Free for a Quarter Century in the Western Pacific
This year, the WHO Western Pacific Region celebrated 25 years without indigenous wild poliovirus. Countries reaffirmed their commitment to global eradication, highlighting the importance of strong routine immunization, high-quality surveillance, and rapid response capacity to maintain and build on this achievement.
Yellow Fever: Protecting Vulnerable Populations
In 2025, yellow fever outbreaks in Africa and a resurgence in the Americas prompted the International Coordinating Group to maintain a global emergency stockpile of 6 million doses. Four countries received 2.8 million doses for rapid response, with campaigns successfully reaching displaced, mobile, and other high-risk populations despite operational challenges.
Preventive vaccination also expanded, with over 38 million people protected through mass campaigns in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, and Uganda. Additional campaigns are planned, and efforts are ongoing to introduce and scale up routine yellow fever vaccination in the remaining countries yet to do so.
HPV Vaccination: Eradicating Cervical Cancer
Momentum towards cervical cancer elimination continued to build in 2025. This year marked a major milestone: the ambitious goal to reach 86 million girls with HPV vaccines in Gavi countries by the end of 2025 has been achieved, with formal confirmation to come in July with the release of the 2025 WUENIC numbers. Around the world, more countries are integrating HPV vaccination into routine immunization programs, strengthening delivery platforms, and engaging communities to raise awareness and demand. These efforts bring us closer to the vision of a world where cervical cancer is eliminated as a public health problem — protecting the health and future of millions of women and girls.
Immunization Agenda 2030: A Mid-Term Review and a Call to Action
The Immunization Agenda 2030 Mid-Term Review reaffirmed that the goals and strategies remain highly relevant and sound for the second half of the strategy period. It also confirmed meaningful immunization program recovery since the pandemic but also revealed significant inequities across countries and subnationally. An estimated 14 million infants in 2024 received not even a single dose of vaccine (i.e., zero-dose children), and coverage gains in many countries remain fragile. Progress in new vaccine introduction continues, but financial pressures on country programs threaten momentum. The review calls for intensified efforts to strengthen immunization within primary health care, close immunity gaps for critical diseases through vaccination, and deliver on IA2030’s promise of equitable access for all. The report makes bold recommendations about shifts in the IA2030 areas of focus, structures, and ways of working to further enhance strategic impact. The review and its recommendations will be presented to the Member States at the WHO Executive Board, 3 to 11 February, followed by presentation to the World Health Assembly in May 2026.
Challenges on the Horizon: A Call for Collective Action
As we look ahead to 2026, several challenges demand our collective attention:
Misinformation: The relentless spread of false and misleading information about vaccines continues to erode public trust, distort perceptions of risk, and hinder uptake. Countering misinformation must remain an integral part of immunization programs – through transparent communication, community engagement, and partnerships that amplify evidence-based messages.
Funding: Constrained financing threatens immunization progress, with many countries facing reduced health budgets or difficult trade-offs that risk slowing the introduction of new vaccines and risking backsliding on coverage.
Inequity: Persistent inequities – between countries and within countries, particularly in fragile, conflict-affected, and humanitarian settings – continue to leave millions of children unprotected against life-threatening infectious diseases that can be prevented by vaccines that are safe and highly effective.
Climate Change: Climate-related disruptions and instability increasingly affect immunization services, supply chains, and disease patterns.
These challenges are complex and interconnected. No single institution or country can address them alone. Our collective commitment to collaboration, innovation, and sustained investment is paramount.
A Shared Path Forward
In 2026, we will continue to advance evidence-based guidance, strengthen routine immunization, enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of campaigns, expand access to new vaccines, and invest in the surveillance and data systems needed to protect populations and accelerate progress under IA2030. We will do so with a clear purpose: to ensure that every child — no matter where they are born — receives the protection they deserve and is their right.
Let's carry the momentum of 2025 into the year ahead with renewed determination, unity, commitment to evidence and science, and with know-how and optimism.
Now, let's hear from you: Do you believe that mandatory vaccination should be implemented to combat misinformation and ensure herd immunity? Or do you think that individual autonomy should always be prioritized, even if it poses a risk to public health? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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