About 60 million “zero-dose children” have not received any vaccines and have aged out of routine immunization programs. Protecting them will require a costly vaccination blitz.
Almost all cervical cancer deaths now occur in developing countries. Tanzania is trying to inoculate girls against the virus that causes the disease — nearly 20 years after rich countries began offering the shot.
Many of the poorest countries will continue to get free Covid shots, but global demand for them has plummeted, driving a shift away from the goal of broad coverage.
The board of Gavi, the international vaccine agency, meets Wednesday to debate shutting down the program, known as Covax, amid swiftly waning demand for the shots.