Immunisation is one of the most effective, affordable ways to protect children’s health and futures
For millions of children, especially those living through conflict and crisis, routine immunisation programs are disrupted or out of reach. We work with partners to close these gaps, so global vaccination for children is a reality, not a promise.
Why immunisation matters for every child
The importance of immunisation is simple: vaccines prevent illness, disability and death. Over the last century, vaccines have driven some of the biggest gains in child health, cutting polio by 99% since 1988 and eradicating smallpox, so children can learn, play and thrive (Save the Children report). These are core child vaccination benefits that safeguard not just individual children, but whole communities.
When routine schedules are maintained, vaccines for child health protect infants early and build immunity over time. When schedules are interrupted, preventable diseases resurge, especially where health systems are fragile or families are displaced. That’s why keeping vaccinations on track is central to children’s survival, learning and protection.
The global impact of vaccines
On top of saving lives, vaccines also reduce health costs for families and systems, and keep children in school. But in places affected by conflict, progress can stall. Two-thirds of the world’s children living in conflict zones aren’t fully immunised; COVID-19 disruptions suspended programs in more than 60 countries, leaving 80 million more children under one-year-old at increased risk, and 50 million children missing polio doses in just four months. And as global aid funding is being reduced dramatically, vaccine equity for kids is urgent.
How Save the Children supports child immunisation
Save the Children vaccination programs focus on practical access for families, especially in emergencies, so children can receive the right vaccines at the right time.
Immunisation in emergencies
In Gaza, the first polio case in 25 years triggered an urgent need to vaccinate 640,000 children under 10. With water and sanitation destroyed, health facilities crippled, and access restricted, agencies warned that safe, large-scale vaccination requires a ceasefire and full humanitarian access, plus cold-chain capacity to move vaccines.
Continuity of care
In Bangladesh, parents were forced to pause their babies’ routine vaccinations during a COVID-19 surge. With outreach and clinic support, parents were able to restart their children’s schedules.
Systems and partnerships
Across Australia and in more than 100 countries, we partner with communities, schools, health providers and governments to deliver evidence-based programs that help children survive, learn and be protected, including maintaining immunisation as part of essential child health. We prioritise the most marginalised children, strengthen services, and build resilience to disasters that can derail health access.
Barriers to immunisation and how we overcome them
Conflict and insecurity
Access corridors and ceasefires are life-saving prerequisites for immunisation in emergencies. But ongoing violence blocks aid, damages clinics and makes travel dangerous, as has been seen in Gaza, where refrigerated trucks needed for vaccine cold chains were repeatedly denied entry to affected areas.
Collapsed services
Where health systems fail, babies miss routine doses. In Gaza, an estimated 50,000 infants born during hostilities likely received no immunisations; older children’s schedules were also disrupted. Restoring services and running catch-up campaigns is essential.
Misinformation and fear
During the pandemic, fear kept families away from clinics. Clear communication and community-based outreach help parents resume routine immunisation programs safely.
Coverage thresholds
To stop transmission during outbreaks, campaigns must reach very high coverage. Polio responses, for example, typically target 95%+ of children. That level of access is impossible amid ongoing conflict or strict movement restrictions, which is why humanitarian access is a core immunisation need.
What works
Coordinated planning with governments and local partners; secure access for vaccinators; functioning cold chains; outreach that answers caregivers’ questions; and flexible clinics that help families catch up on missed doses.
Why immunisation is a right (UNCRC Article 24)
Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises every child’s right to “the highest attainable standard of health” and to health services, including preventive measures. States must pursue full implementation of this right and ensure no child is deprived of essential care, including routine vaccinations and responses to outbreaks. Click here to read a child-friendly summary that frames Article 24 as the right to the best healthcare possible, clean water and a safe environment.
How your support helps vaccinate children who are left behind
Your support powers the practical solutions that keep global vaccination for children moving:
- Reaching children in crisis: You can help establish safe access for vaccinators, supply cold-chain equipment, and support emergency campaigns when outbreaks threaten children’s lives.
- Protecting routine: You can help clinics and community health workers keep routine schedules going and run catch-up sessions when families miss appointments.
- Strengthening systems: You can help back long-term partnerships that make health services more resilient to conflict, disasters and climate shocks, so vaccines keep reaching children.
What you can do today:
- Learn more and share why vaccines matter: The more people who understand child vaccination benefits, the more children we can protect.
- Partner with us: Organisations and schools can collaborate with Save the Children to strengthen community outreach and keep children on schedule, even during disruptions.
- Make a donation: Your generosity helps deliver vaccines and essential child health services where they are needed most, and supports urgent responses when crises hit.
Immunisation saves lives and protects childhood. By championing vaccine equity for kids, maintaining routine immunisation programs, and enabling effective responses in emergencies, we can ensure more children are safe, healthy and ready to learn.