Alarming Decline in Latin American Vaccination Rates : AFP / VOA

UNICEF and PAHO report that vaccination coverage of children in Latin America fell from 90% in 2015 to only 75% by 2020. As a result, the region is witnessing a sharp rise in diseases like diphtheria and measles.

"The context in the region has changed in the last five years. Governments have focused their attention on other emerging public health issues such as Zika, chikungunya and more recently COVID-19," UNICEF neonatal expert Ralph Midy told AFP.

"The existence of migrant populations that are difficult to locate and do not always have access to regular health services, in addition to people living in isolated or hard-to-reach areas, also hinders the vaccination process," Midy said.

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