Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Global health officials are reporting a record 106 million infants were vaccinated last year against life-threatening diseases.

But, the report from the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the World Bank says nearly 1 in 5 babies aren't fully protected.

The groups say to get a full round of first-year vaccinations to children in the poorest countries will take another $1 billion a year.

And they say it's a good investment. The report says if 90% of children under age 5 got the vaccinations, 2 million deaths could be prevented by 2015.

Most of the unprotected babies are in Asia and Africa, particularly in rural regions and areas mired in conflict.