Data from Ghana’s Statistical Service has revealed a troubling significant increase in the percentage of children not fully vaccinated according to the national schedule.
According to the latest findings, the percentage of children aged 24 to 35 months who were not fully vaccinated has risen, with almost three in every five children in this age range missing out on crucial vaccinations in 2022. This marks a decline from previous years, reflecting a decrease of 15.1 percentage points between 2014 and 2022.
“The percentage of children aged 24 to 35 months who were not fully vaccinated according to the national schedule declined by 15.1 percentage points between 2014 and 2022. Almost three in every five (57.6%) in this age range had not been fully vaccinated according to the national schedule in 2022 compared to about two in every five (42.5%) in 2014.”
Regional disparities are pronounced, with more than half of children aged 24 to 35 months in ten out of the 16 regions failing to receive all age-appropriate vaccines.
The Northern Region stands out, where an alarming 81.5% of children in this age group have not been fully vaccinated. Other regions with concerning rates include Western (68.5%) and Savannah (66.9%).
“The highest percentage was recorded in the Northern Region where four in every five (81.5%) had not been fully vaccinated.”
While, “the region with the lowest percentage of children who had not received all age-appropriate vaccines was Volta Region (26.7%) followed distantly by Greater Accra (40.4%)”
Furthermore, there’s a notable discrepancy between genders, with a higher percentage of girls (59.6%) compared to boys (55.6%) not receiving full vaccinations.
Among younger children aged 12 to 23 months, the report shows a 6.7 percentage point increase since 2014, with more than two in every five children (44.5%) not fully vaccinated according to the national schedule in 2022.
This concerning data underscores the importance of World Immunization Week, which is celebrated annually in the last week of April to promote vaccine use and save lives.
This year’s commemoration holds special significance as it marks the 50th anniversary of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), urging renewed efforts to prioritize childhood immunization and ensure every child receives life-saving vaccines.
Attached is the full statement
World Immunization Week press release from GSS_23042024
