Strategies for catch-up and reducing missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV) (16th TechNet Conference)

Timely vaccination is important for ensuring populations are fully protected against life-threatening illnesses as early as possible, and preventing large outbreaks of VPDs. Yet, scheduled vaccinations may be missed for a number of reasons, e.g. due to health system, caregiver or health worker related issues. Or in the current context, due to a catastrophic event. However, no one should miss out on the right to the protection that vaccines offer, simply because they are unable to access services in time. Establishing a catch-up vaccination strategy and incorporating approaches to better integrate service delivery and reduce missed opportunities for vaccination are important aspects of immunization system strengthening, and can contribute significantly to closing population immunity gaps.