Galles NC, Liu PY, Updike RL, et al. - After making significant gains in childhood vaccine coverage around the world, much of the progress was halted or reversed between 2010 and 2019. Such findings highlight the importance of revisiting routine immunization strategies and programmatic approaches, with a focus on equity and underserved populations. To ensure that all children have access to and benefit from lifesaving vaccines, it is critical to strengthen vaccine data and monitoring systems now and in the future.

• Global coverage of third-dose diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis [DTP] had more than doubled since 1980, as had global coverage of the first-dose measles-containing vaccine.

• Third-dose polio vaccine (Pol3) coverage increased as well, rising from 42·6% in 1980 to 79·8% in 2019, while global coverage of newer vaccines increased rapidly between 2000 and 2019.

• Between 1980 and 2019, the global number of zero-dose children fell by almost 75%, from 568 million to 145 million.

• However, global vaccine coverage has mostly plateaued over the last decade, with 94 countries and territories reporting decreased DTP, third dose [DTP3] coverage since 2010.

• In 2019, it was anticipated that just 11 countries and territories have achieved the national Global Vaccine Action Plan target of at least 90% coverage for all vaccinations examined.