Tuesday, 07 August 2001
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Post00366 INTRODUCTION OF NEW VACCINES 6August 2001 CONTENTS 1. TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO COUNTRIES NEEDED FOR INTRODUCTION OF NEW VACCINES Robert Steinglass, BASICS, raises the need for technical support to countries to enable them to anticipate and deal with the operational issues that will inevitable be faced when they introduce new vaccines in immunization programs. Robert also asks that we discuss this key current and future issue in Technet Forum and at the late August 2001 TECHNET meeting. Michel Zaffran, Umit Kartoglu, and Jay Wenger, (WHO/V&B), add to the discussion, and confirm the importance and relevance of this discussion. Contributions to: [[email protected]][email protected][/email] or use your reply button! ___________________________________________________________________________ These files are discussed below and are available for download: gavinewvaccineWeeks_ug.PDF Proposed operational plan for replacing DPT with the pentavalent vaccine DPT/Hep B/Hib, UNEPI/MOH, July 2001 newvacWORKSHOPannex3.PDF Main Issues Of The Workshop To Review And Revise Action Plans For Strengthening Routine Immunization And Introduction Of New Vaccines , 10 - 13 July, Abuja, Nigeria Go to the website ftp://ftp.acithn.uq.edu.au/Technet/1-ClickHereForTECHNETfiles/NewVaxIntro or Send an email to: [[email protected]][email protected][/email] with the message: get technet gavinewvaccineWeeks_ug.PDF get technet newvacWORKSHOPannex3.PDF * These files were scanned with the latest Norton AntiVirus update and converted to Adobe Acrobat portable document format. ___________________________________________________________________________ Date: Fri, 03 Aug 2001 From: "Robert Steinglass" To: [[email protected]][email protected][/email] Subject: technical support to countries is badly needed for smooth introduction of new vaccines Dear Allan, It is our distinct impression from discussions with field staff in many countries (mostly in Africa) that many countries would benefit from technical support to anticipate the many operational issues, so as to permit a smooth introduction of a new vaccine. To me, this is a topic which still needs a lot of discussion NOW among the technical partners regarding who is prepared to and has the finances to actually provide the needed technical support. I am directing this to just a few of the technical people who I know are aware of the technical and operational requirements, but frankly I am no longer sure who makes the decisions on such matters of technical support to countries in this area. I direct this to you because I believe that a moderated discussion to engage the readers of TECHNET Forum together with WHO and other technical agency staff could contribute to systematically thinking about what is needed, by whom and when. Maybe such a discussion is already taking place elsewhere, but I am not aware and would be happy to learn more (as most probably would others) about what is being planned/done to prepare countries for new vaccine arrivals. (The upcoming TECHNET meeting might also help to define the needs better.) By the way, I don't recall if I sent this simple checklist to you recently, but it might be of interest as just one example (I hope there are others) to other countries contemplating the introduction of new vaccines. It was prepared by BASICS staff member Mark Weeks on a recent trip to Africa. Best regards. Robert Robert Steinglass Immunization Team Leader BASICS 1600 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300 Arlington, VA. 22209 USA voice: 1-703-312-6800 fax: 1-703-312-6900 e-mail: [[email protected]][email protected][/email] --- From: [[email protected]][email protected][/email] Sent: Thursday, 2 August 2001 To: [[email protected]][email protected][/email] Subject: TECHNET agenda Hi. With so many countries, including some that are not very strong, now planning to introduce new combo vaccines, maybe there could be a session at TECHNET on the concrete operational steps that are being taken to ensure smooth introduction. It should be of wide interest and is very topical. Maybe someone from a new vaccine country could be invited to present? I think this is the Achilles heel and I have some inputs that introduction needs more attention. What do you think? I am copying Michel, too, given his current GAVI and (former) TECHNET perspectives. Attached is something which long-time EPI veteran Mark Weeks put together quickly a couple of weeks ago in Uganda to help them get serious about what it takes to plan for a smooth introduction. Robert --- From: zaffranm Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2001 To: [[email protected]][email protected][/email]; [[email protected]][email protected][/email] Subject: RE: TECHNET agenda I strongly support Robert's suggestion which I think is very relevant. Can the Agenda accommodate this? Who would you suggest to present on good and poor planning perspectives? michel --- From: [[email protected]][email protected][/email] To: [[email protected]][email protected][/email], [[email protected]][email protected][/email] Subject: RE: technical support to countries is badly needed for smooth introduction of new vaccines Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2001 Dear Robert and Allan, What Robert is raising here is extremely important and we agreed to include a session for discussion on this subject in the TECHNET meeting. Thanks Robert ... UMIT --- Date: Mon, 06 Aug 2001 From: "Robert Steinglass" To: [[email protected]][email protected][/email] Subject: Re: RE: TECHNET agenda Hi, I see a lot of e-mail traffic about this. I am very impressed with your last-minute flexibility to put this on the agenda. I think it could be useful for TECHNET to come up with a recommendation regarding the operational process to be followed in introducing new vaccines. I could be wrong, and I know that various documents exist here and there on related topics, but I do not recall any which try to bring together the steps and the practical field experience into a single brief set of guidelines. Just as Polio has a field guide with steps, does such a thing exist for new vaccine intro? All the best, Robert --- From: [[email protected]][email protected][/email] To: [[email protected]][email protected][/email], [[email protected]][email protected][/email] Subject: RE: technical support to countries is badly needed for smooth int roduction of new vaccines Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2001 Dear All: I will not be back in Geneva till end of this week, and will comment more fully later, but I did want to note the following, and hope others can fill in. As below, a lot of African countries will be launching into new vaccines introduction in the next 12 months. As Robert notes, there is need for technical assistance for many of these introductions. Several steps have been taken, including: 1. Preparation of guidelines for introduction of hepatitis b and Hib vaccines, which have been distributed to countries introducing the respective vaccines, as well as a brief checklist (similar, but not identical to the one Robert had attached). [Mark Weeks file: gavinewvaccineWeeks_ug.PDF] 2. Meetings with countries planning to introduce new vaccines, to discuss critical issues and assess need for technical support. One of these was held in Abuja, in conjunction with the midlevel managers course, July 10-13 (brief summary attached - there is more, but I don't have it here). [newvacWORKSHOPannex3.PDF] 3. Development of funds to support technical input, as well as followup visits to countries to evaluate introduction and its impact on disease and immunization programs. Some of these funds reside in regional offices, through the TFCC or WHO/Geneva. We clearly need to clarify which countries need urgent assistance, and for AFRO, a start has been made on this, but I do not have the latest information on this. Jay ____________________________________*______________________________________ ____________________________________*______________________________________ All members of the TECHNET Forum are invited to send messages to all subscribers or to comment on any posting or to use the forum to request technical information in relation to EPI and logistics for health. The forum invites all French speakers to send their comments either in French - and we will translate and post bilingually - or in hesitant English and we will correct before posting. The comments made in this forum are the sole responsibility of the writers and does not in any way mean that they are endorsed by any of the organizations and agencies to which the authors may belong. Contributions to: [[email protected]][email protected][/email] or use your reply button! The TECHNET Forum welcomes new subscribers who are involved in Logistics and management for Health. Please subscribe by sending an email to: ____________________________________*______________________________________ Previous postings and files are available for download: Go to the website ftp://ftp.acithn.uq.edu.au/Technet/1-ClickHereForTECHNETfiles/ or Send an email to: [[email protected]][email protected][/email] To get the file list - send the message: dir technet To get the file - send the message: get technet "filename" ____________________________________*______________________________________ The Technet Forum is sponsored by the World Health Organization Department of Vaccines and Biologicals. It is moderated by Allan Bass and hosted on the Australian Centre for International and Tropical Health and Nutrition network. www.acithn.uq.edu.au ___________________________________________________________________________
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