India leads in child vaccine confidence despite pandemic, says UNICEF

UNICEF reported that vaccine confidence has declined in over a third of the 55 countries studied, except for India, China, and Mexico. The decline comes amid the largest sustained backslide in childhood immunization in 30 years, fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, which interrupted childhood vaccination almost everywhere due to intense demands on health systems, diversion of immunization resources to COVID-19 vaccination, health worker shortages, and stay-at-home measures. The report warns of the growing threat of vaccine hesitancy and the need to ensure sustained vaccination efforts.