COVID-19 pandemic

=== Immunizations ===
During the pandemic, millions of children missed out on vaccinations as countries focused efforts on combating COVID-19. Efforts were made to increase vaccination rates among children in [[low-income countries]]. These efforts were successful in increasing vaccination rates for some diseases, though the UN noted that post-pandemic [[measles vaccination]]s were still falling behind.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web ||date=17 July 2023 |title=Global immunisation rates show sign of post-pandemic rebound {{!}} UN News |url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/07/1138767 |access-date=30 July 2023 |website=news.un.org }}</ref>

Some of the decrease in immunization was driven by an increase in mistrust of public health officials. This was seen in both low-income and high-income countries. Several [[African countries]] saw a decline in vaccinations due to misinformation around the pandemic flowing into other areas.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web ||title=COVID pandemic created immunisation gaps in Africa. Over half a million children are at risk {{!}} Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance |url=https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/covid-pandemic-created-immunisation-gaps-africa-over-half-million-children-are-risk |access-date=30 July 2023 |website=www.gavi.org }}</ref> Immunization rates have yet to recover in the United States<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web ||last=Joseph |first=Andrew |date=12 January 2023 |title=Routine vaccinations drop among U.S. kindergartners for the third year in a row |url=https://www.statnews.com/2023/01/12/routine-vaccinations-kindergartners/ |access-date=30 July 2023 |website=STAT }}</ref> and the United Kingdom.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news ||date=24 April 2023 |title=Teenagers at risk after drop in vaccine take-up |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-65372941 |access-date=30 July 2023}}</ref>