The South African Ministry of Health expressed concern over the alarming level of insufficient vaccination coverage in the country. More than a third of babies had not received any vaccines at the beginning of the year, according to data released by health authorities.
The proportion of unvaccinated children under one year of age tripled in under a decade. Official data shows it rose from 12.1% in 2017 to 36.3% between January and April 2026.
According to South African health authorities, the number of babies who did not receive any vaccines is now three times higher than recorded less than ten years ago.
The alert comes in a context of growing concern about child health in the country, where the Ministry of Health called for urgent measures to reverse this declining vaccination trend.
