The Ledger · Entry 22
Most children now get the full course of the DTP vaccine
Share of one-year-olds who completed three doses of the DTP vaccine
Data: Our World in Data, based on WHO/UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC)
Public-health workers watch one number more than almost any other to judge how well a country reaches its children: DTP3, the share of one-year-olds who complete all three doses of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine. A child who gets all three has almost certainly been reached by the rest of the routine schedule too.
The key rows
That benchmark rose from 20% in 1980 to 85% in 2024. Like measles, it dipped when the pandemic disrupted clinics and has since recovered. The children still missed are disproportionately in conflict zones and the poorest districts, which is why the last stretch is the hardest to win.
Asked often
What is DTP3 coverage?
It is the share of one-year-olds who have received all three doses of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine. It rose from 20% in 1980 to 85% in 2024, and is used worldwide as a benchmark for how well routine immunization reaches children.
Why is DTP3 used as a benchmark?
A child who completes all three DTP doses has almost always been reached by the rest of the routine vaccination schedule, so DTP3 coverage is a good proxy for how well a health system reaches its youngest children.
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