Global DTP and measles vaccine coverage increased from 2021 to 2022 but remains below 2019 prepandemic levels.

An observational study examined global routine vaccination coverage trends. It assessed coverage with the first dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-containing vaccine (DTP1) and the first dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) in the worldwide population from 2021 to 2022, comparing levels to those in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The main results showed global DTP1 coverage increased from 86% in 2021 to 89% in 2022. Similarly, global MCV1 coverage increased from 81% in 2021 to 84% in 2022. When compared to 2019 prepandemic levels, the 2022 DTP1 coverage of 89% did not return to the 90% level seen in 2019. The 2022 MCV1 coverage of 84% also remained below the 86% coverage level from 2019.

Safety and tolerability data were not reported for this coverage analysis. Key limitations include the observational nature of the data, which reports associations and cannot establish causation. No absolute numbers of vaccinated children, effect sizes, or confidence intervals were reported, limiting precision. The findings indicate a partial recovery in global vaccination coverage from pandemic-era declines, but a persistent gap compared to prepandemic benchmarks remains a public health concern.