A policy framework for accelerating adoption of new vaccines

Abstract

Rapid uptake of new vaccines can improve health and wealth and contribute to meeting Millennium Development Goals. In the past, however, the introduction and use of new vaccines has been characterized by delayed uptake in the countries where the need is greatest. Based on experience with accelerating the adoption of Hib, pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines, we propose here a framework for new vaccine adoption that may be useful for future efforts. The framework organizes the major steps in the process into a continuum from evidence to policy, implementation and finally access. It highlights the important roles of different actors at various times in the process and may allow new vaccine initiatives to save time and improve their efficiency by anticipating key steps and actions.

Figures and Tables

Figure 1 Evidence to policy to implementation.

Figure 2 Figure total. Comparison of coverage with Hib and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in high-income vs. low and middle income countries over time. Y-axis. Proportion of global birth cohort that lack access to vaccines. X-axis. Years from first country introduction. Red line, open triangles. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine access in high income countries. Red line, solid triangles. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine access in low and middle income countries (actual coverage in solid line, projected coverage in dashed line). Blue line, open circle. Hib conjugate vaccine access in high income countries. Blue line, closed circle. Hib conjugate vaccine access in middle income countries. Sources: Country introduction data: International Vaccine Access Center. Vaccine Information Management System (VIMS). Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Avail at: http://www.jhsph.edu/ivac/vims.html. Last accessed Jul 12, 2010. 2008 DTP 3 Coverage Rates: World Health Organization. WHO Vaccine Preventable Diseases Monitoring System (WHO/UNICEF Best Estimates). Jul 10, 2009. Last accessed Jul 12, 2010 at: http://www.who.int/immunization_monitoring/data/data_subject/en/index.html. 2008 Country Birth Cohorts: UNICEF. The State of the World's Children 2010. Accessed Jul 12, 2010 at: http://www.unicef.org/sowc/; Income groupings: World Bank, 2008.