Zero-dose child
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Field | Public health, Global health, Immunization |
|---|---|
| Origin | World Health Organization / UNICEF monitoring under Immunization Agenda 2030 |
| Purpose | Equity indicator identifying infants not reached by routine immunization services |
A zero-dose child is a term in global public health for an infant who has not received any routine childhood vaccine doses. For operational monitoring, the WHO and UNICEF measure zero-dose status as the non-receipt of the first dose of a DTP-containing vaccine (DTP1) by the end of the first year of life.[1][2] The number of zero-dose children is a core equity indicator of the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030).[1]
WHO and UNICEF track zero-dose children using the DTP1 proxy: those who did not receive a first dose of a DTP-containing vaccine –against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and tetanus (lockjaw)– by age one are counted as zero-dose.[1] Research sometimes uses broader definitions to identify children who truly received no vaccines at all (e.g., among children aged 12–23 months, having received none of BCG, polio, pentavalent/DTP-containing or measles-containing vaccines).[3][4]
Global burden and trends
According to WHO/UNICEF's 2024 coverage estimates released in 2025, about 14.3 million infants worldwide were zero-dose—meaning they received no routine vaccines in their first year of life—despite modest stabilization in overall coverage compared with 2023.[5][6] Zero-dose children are disproportionately found in settings affected by fragility, conflict or humanitarian crises. Barriers include limited access to primary health care, supply interruptions, displacement and misinformation.[7]