As 2025 draws to a close, we look back on a year defined by scientific progress,\u00a0strong\u00a0commitment, and collective determination in the face of global uncertainty. Immunization\u00a0remains\u00a0one of the most effective public-health interventions we have, preventing disease and protecting millions of people\u00a0from serious disease and death,\u00a0every year, and 2025 is no different. This past year reminded us not only of what vaccines can achieve, but of how essential our shared efforts are to ensuring those benefits reach every child,\u00a0every adolescent, every adult,\u00a0everywhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite complex geopolitical pressures, health system strains, and\u00a0growing\u00a0vaccine\u00a0misinformation, the immunization community advanced on several critical fronts. These achievements\u00a0show us\u00a0all\u00a0what is possible when evidence,\u00a0partnership\u00a0and purpose come together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Measles deaths down 88% since 2000\u00a0<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s WHO measles report<\/a>\u00a0underscored the enormous impact of immunization, with global measles deaths reduced by 88% since 2000. At the same time, surges in\u00a0large and disruptive outbreaks\u00a0across several regions highlighted persistent immunity gaps, including at the subnational level in countries with high national coverage,\u00a0and the importance of sustained surveillance, outbreak\u00a0response\u00a0and catch-up vaccination. In November, these challenges led to the Americas losing hard-won measles elimination verification, for the second time, following re-establishment of endemic measles transmission in Canada. In the coming months,\u00a0the\u00a0US and Mexico will also be facing the\u00a012-month\u00a0timeline for\u00a0ending\u00a0measles\u00a0endemic\u00a0transmission\u00a0which will\u00a0determine\u00a0their national measles elimination\u00a0and both countries are working hard to\u00a0shut down ongoing outbreaks. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Even with\u00a0these challenges,\u00a0advances are being made toward\u00a0measles elimination: 96 countries have now\u00a0eliminated\u00a0endemic measles, including the Pacific island countries and just this month,\u00a0Cabo Verde,\u00a0Mauritius\u00a0and Seychelles became the first countries in the WHO African Region to achieve verification. These milestones\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0what strong political commitment, high\u00a0measles vaccine\u00a0coverage\u00a0and resilient surveillance systems can achieve.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Malaria vaccination reaches new scale\u00a0<\/p>\n The rollout of malaria vaccines\u00a0continued at high pace\u00a0in 2025. Today, 24 countries in Africa are offering malaria vaccines as part of childhood immunization\u00a0programmes\u00a0and national malaria control plans. More than\u00a010 million children\u00a0are now targeted\u00a0annually,\u00a0however, most countries are\u00a0implementing\u00a0below their national\u00a0scale-up target\u00a0due to limited funding.\u00a0Recently, both\u00a0malaria\u00a0vaccine manufacturers announced\u00a0future\u00a0price reductions for malaria vaccine doses, which will\u00a0be a critical step for\u00a0improved\u00a0affordability\u00a0when these prices kick in.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n WHO\u2019s World\u00a0Malaria\u00a0Report 2025<\/a> highlighted that progress against malaria\u00a0faces considerable challenges, including drug and insecticide resistance. Increasing access to\u00a0life-saving\u00a0malaria vaccines\u00a0for children\u00a0is\u00a0key intervention\u00a0that\u00a0adds immunologic protection to\u00a0case management,\u00a0vector\u00a0control\u00a0and chemoprevention as\u00a0four complementary\u00a0approaches to addressing the unacceptably high\u00a0malaria burden\u00a0that children,\u00a0families\u00a0and countries are facing, and brings us closer to our vision for a healthier future for all.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Advancing access to new tuberculosis vaccines\u00a0<\/p>\n In\u00a0November, WHO released a milestone report<\/a> laying out the case for\u00a0bold, coordinated action to ensure\u00a0financing and\u00a0equitable\u00a0access\u00a0to\u00a0what are hoped to be the first\u00a0new TB vaccines in more than 100 years. The report sets out the pathways needed to accelerate\u00a0innovative\u00a0financing instruments and actions to enable access to these\u00a0novel\u00a0vaccines, which are in advanced clinical trials,\u00a0bringing the world closer to reducing the heavy global burden of tuberculosis.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meningitis: a milestone year in global efforts\u00a0<\/p>\n 2025 marked major progress in the fight against meningitis. WHO released its first global guidelines<\/a> for meningitis diagnosis,\u00a0treatment\u00a0and care \u2014 a significant step toward faster detection, better clinical\u00a0management\u00a0and stronger support for those affected. Member States reaffirmed their commitment to the Defeating Meningitis by 2030 roadmap, and a recent partner meeting helped align priorities and reinforce multisectoral collaboration.\u00a0<\/p>\n Momentum is also building toward a Group B Streptococcus vaccine, a potential breakthrough for protecting mothers and newborns. With new guidelines, strengthened surveillance and advancing vaccines, countries are now better positioned to reduce meningitis cases,\u00a0deaths\u00a0and long-term disabilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n 25 years polio-free in the Western Pacific\u00a0<\/p>\n This year, the WHO Western Pacific Region marked 25 years without indigenous wild poliovirus<\/a>. Countries reaffirmed their commitment to global eradication, highlighting the\u00a0importance of strong routine immunization, high-quality\u00a0surveillance,\u00a0and rapid response capacity to\u00a0maintain\u00a0and build on this achievement.\u00a0<\/p>\n Yellow fever: strengthening protection in high-risk regions\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2025, yellow fever outbreaks in Africa and a resurgence in the Americas prompted the International Coordinating Group to\u00a0maintain\u00a0a global emergency stockpile\u00a0of 6 million doses. Four countries\u00a0received 2.8 million doses for rapid response, with campaigns successfully reaching displaced,\u00a0mobile\u00a0and other high-risk populations despite operational challenges.\u00a0<\/p>\n Preventive vaccination also expanded, with over\u00a038 million people\u00a0protected through mass campaigns in\u00a0the Democratic Republic of\u00a0the Congo, Guinea-Bissau,\u00a0Niger\u00a0and\u00a0Uganda.\u00a0Additional\u00a0campaigns are planned, and efforts\u00a0are\u00a0ongoing\u00a0to introduce and scale up routine yellow fever vaccination in the remaining countries yet to do so.\u00a0<\/p>\n HPV vaccination: accelerating progress toward cervical cancer elimination\u00a0<\/p>\n Momentum toward cervical cancer elimination continued to build in 2025. This year marked a major milestone, as the ambitious goal to reach\u00a086 million girls\u00a0with HPV vaccines\u00a0in Gavi countries\u00a0by the end of 2025 has been achieved, with formal confirmation to come in July with the release of the 2025 WUENIC numbers<\/a>.\u00a0Around the world, more countries are integrating HPV vaccination into routine immunization\u00a0programmes, strengthening delivery platforms, and engaging communities to raise awareness and demand. These efforts bring us closer to the vision of a world where cervical cancer is eliminated as a public health problem \u2014 protecting the health and future of millions of women and girls.\u00a0<\/p>\n IA2030 mid-term review: a call for renewed ambition\u00a0<\/p>\n