WHO-led Big Catch-Up campaign delivers 100 million doses globally

WHO, UNICEF and Gavi said The Big Catch-Up has delivered more than 100 million childhood vaccine doses across 36 countries.

The joint announcement was published on April 24, 2026, at the start of World Immunization Week. The agencies said the campaign reached an estimated 18.3 million children, including about 12.3 million zero-dose children and roughly 15 million who had never received a measles vaccine.

The initiative concluded in March 2026, but the agencies said it is on track to meet its target of reaching 21 million children.

The milestone is significant because it marks a large-scale effort to recover childhood immunization coverage that was disrupted in recent years. The agencies presented the campaign as part of a broader push to close immunity gaps and restore routine vaccination.

The new figures are based on the joint WHO, UNICEF and Gavi release and were echoed in secondary coverage the same day.