DAMASCUS: Vaccination coverage in Syria rose above 81 percent in 2025, as the Ministry of Health expanded nationwide immunization campaigns to reach children in both urban and remote areas, according to health officials.
Officials said that about 3.2 million children under the age of five were targeted by the national immunization program in 2025, along with about 699,000 children under one year of age, as part of routine and outreach vaccination efforts.
Dr. Turki Daher, director of the National Expanded Immunization Program at the Ministry of Health, said that the program had delivered major public health gains since its launch in 1978, including the eradication of polio and neonatal tetanus and a reduction in infectious diseases such as measles.
He added that these efforts had contributed to lower child morbidity and mortality rates across the country.
Daher said that coverage had declined in previous years but had since improved following restoration efforts by the ministry’s Primary Healthcare Directorate.
He noted that nationwide campaigns had focused on reaching remote communities, and tracking children who missed routine vaccinations up to the age of 12, raising coverage to 80-85 percent in 2025.
He added that mobile vaccination teams, health centers and outreach sites continued to support access to vaccines, noting that campaigns in eastern provinces reached more than 750,000 children under five, with coverage exceeding 87 percent of the target group.
Daher said that challenges included difficulties in accurately estimating population figures due to displacement and returns, shortages of trained staff, limited operational capacity and unstable electricity supplies affecting cold-chain systems.
He said that the ministry had responded by expanding training programs and increasing the use of solar energy in storage facilities and health centers.
Future plans include standardizing vaccination schedules, introducing electronic registration and tracking systems, and strengthening coordination with other health programs to improve access in remote areas.
Dr. Abdullah Okla, head of clinics at Red Crescent Hospital, stressed the importance of adhering to vaccination schedules, saying immunization remained the cornerstone of preventing infectious diseases.
He said that vaccines protected both individuals and contributed to “community immunity,” reducing the spread of disease.
The national immunization program expanded its reach in 2025 through 274 mobile teams, which conducted more than 40,000 vaccination sessions.
In addition, 1,094 health centers carried out more than 49,000 sessions across 107 health districts, alongside 78 outreach sites, and provided more than 1,500 sessions.