The IVAC VIMS Report on Global Vaccine Introduction - September 2014 is out! Recent updates (since March 2014) include: -South Sudan's introduction of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine in July 2014 marks a significant milestone in global health, as Hib-containing pentavalent vaccine is n...

In August, photographer Phil Moore accompanied a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) vaccination team in the remote mountainous war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). Here he shares the story of his trip with photos. http://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-30035323...

Interesting article from Bloomberg. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-17/ebola-vaccine-challenge-motorbikes-and-kerosene-fridges.html This section on the supply chain challenges is particularly interesting: Muddy Roads “Even if we decide not to use the vaccine during this outbreak and ...

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to inform you that the 2nd People that Deliver Global Conference on HR in SCM, held in Denmark from the 27-31 October, 2014, was a great success. The 2nd PtD Global Conference had 160 participants from 20 countries representing the following constituencies: co...

Interesting article published in Vaccine from Shruti Sridhar http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X14014534 Highlights • First systematic review of missed opportunities for immunization (MOI) since 1993. • Study assessed children and women of childbearing age in lower income cou...

Passing along this link to a recent article from Prashant Yadav published in Vaccine on a framework for supply chain integration. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X14013589 Highlights • Integration with other supply chains is often presented as a strategy to improve the eff...

A new WHO Information Note concerning the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is now available on the WHO website. http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/ebola/ebola-immunization-afro As a public health emergency of international concern, the recent Ebola outbreak has drawn huge global attent...

In recognition that an increasing number of vaccines are able to tolerate temperatures well above those officially stated on their labels, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been supporting efforts to assess and take advantage of the true heat stability of vaccines. Upstream work in this regard...

This summary has been extracted from the IVAC website. For best viewing, please click here. For the first time in its history, the International Symposium on Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Disease (ISPPD), was held in Asia in March 2014. Nearly 1,000 scientists and public health experts from aroun...

An Editorial in Indian Pediatrics the journal of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics has again raised doubts about the usefulness of Hepatitis-B vaccination in India. Results of the pilot study launched in Andhra Pradesh to evaluate the usefulness of the vaccine have been published in the latest issu...

Dear CSO colleagues and friends Attached please find a CSO sign-on letter drafted by the Gavi CSO Steering Committee and German CSO colleagues working on immunisation ahead of the Gavi Replenishment conference that will be hosted by the German government in Berlin on 27 January, 2015. The l...

Colleagues, I'm cross-posting this IAPHL conversation for TechNet input: If our long term goal is that all countries have high-performing cold chain equipment that meets the needs for current vaccines as well as near-term new introductions, this points to the need for action across several areas....

On behalf of the WHO Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (IPAC), I'm pleased to let you know about this advocacy document, now available on the WHO website, that summarises IPAC's concerns regarding lack of investment in Immunization Supply Chain and Logistics (ISCL). This work was approved b...

The updated Updated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to request M&RI funding to respond to measles outbreaks in Gavi eligible countries are available at: http://www.measlesrubellainitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/SOP_MRI_Outbreak_Response_Fund_June2014_Final.pdf or at http:/...

The Cold Chain Support Package (CCSP) on the UNICEF internet site is now officially ‘live’. The CCSP is an initiative of the UNICEF Supply Division in Copenhagen. It is meant to support UNICEF Country Offices and Partners with the procurement of Cold Chain Equipment through UNICEF Supply Division. W...

VVM’s and MKT are equivalent methods of measuring the effect of temperature variations on vaccines. VVM’s & MKT measurements can be used in a complimentary manner, the VVM’s give information on the life of individual vaccine vials. MKT measurements can be used to effectively measure the performa...

The Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) sets out an array of targets for a world in which all individuals and communities enjoy lives free from vaccine-preventable diseases. As requested by Member States at the World Health Assembly in 2012, an annual review of the progress with the implementation of ...

The meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization took place in Geneva from the 21-23 October 2014. The full SAGE meeting summary is available online at: http://www.who.int/immunization/sage/meetings/2014/october/summary_meeting_oct2014 For more information on SAGE,...

Last week marked the second occasion that a Controlled Temperature Chain (CTC) has been officially used with a vaccine licensed, pre-qualified, and labelled accordingly. Mauritania has just completed a Meningitis A immunization campaign (scheduled from October 14th to the 23rd) using the Meningococ...

Please find at the link below the revised WHO multi-dose vial policy. Please disseminate widely to all EPI staff. Thank you. Veuillez trouver au lien ci-dessous la nouvelle politique de l'OMS en ce qui concerne la manipulation correcte des flacons de vaccin multidoses entamés. Je vous prie de bien ...