According to a report published last week by the World Health Organisation (“WHO”) and United Nations Children’s Fund (“UNICEF”), global childhood immunisation rates have stalled, with 84% of children vaccinated in 2023, which has not improved despite efforts. According to the report, this stagnation highlights ongoing challenges in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, including poor access to health services and fragile, conflict-ridden areas.
The report highlights the reduction in missed doses of “routine” DTP vaccines last year with 13.9 million fewer children receiving all doses in 2022. The report also laments the gaps in measles vaccinations, noting that outbreaks hit 103 countries.
GAVI’s plan aims to vaccinate 500 million children by 2030, with existing and new vaccines, claiming it will avert up to 9 million deaths. The organisation is seeking $9 billion in new pledges of the $11.9 billion needed for the strategic period.
However, Dr. Paul Thomas, who is the author of a study comparing the health outcomes of vaccinated versus unvaccinated children and others, argued that vaccination programs are unnecessary. Additionally, he argued, success should be measured on the overall health of the population, not on vaccination rates.
“The less we vaccinate, the healthier the population,” he said.
The paediatrician’s warning highlights the potential risks and unintended consequences of mass vaccination efforts. He told The Defender that the global vaccination programmes continue to use the dangerous whole-cell DTP formulation instead of the less risky acellular version.
The whole-cell vaccine, which contains the entire Bordetella pertussis organism rather than just purified components, has since the 1930s resulted in widespread reports of neurological damage. It was phased out in the US by 1997, but the formulation has continued to be used in low- and middle-income countries, potentially killing millions of children.
Dr. Thomas also doesn’t agree with WHO’s stance on measles.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “Measles outbreaks are the canary in the coal mine, exposing and exploiting gaps in immunisation and hitting the most vulnerable first.”
Dr. Thomas stated that measles is not a threat to well-nourished, healthy children and that the focus on vaccines as a solution “is destroying the immune systems” of those who are highly vaccinated.
“The focus should be on making sure children of the world have adequate nutrition and adequate support of vitamins A, D and C,” he said.
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