Immunization

A supply note has been released addressing key issues related to the vaccine production cycle, procurement, and supply information to enable countries the timely access to the vaccines in the required quantities Countries in the southern hemisphere that plan to procure seasonal influenza vaccine through UNICEF are required to ensure that cost…

A eight-year boy is vaccinated by a mobile health team in an informal tented settlement near the Dead Sea in Jordan, in April 2019. The quantification of vaccines and devices needs is a direct input into subsequent allocation of financial resources and the solicitation process. The forecast exercise provides appropriate planning information with a…

A look inside one of the vaccination kit containers used by the UNICEF-supported vaccination teams at Bardarash camp, in Iraq, in October 2019. Selection comprises the definition of which vaccines are to be included in the immunization programme and the target groups, as well as the identification of which presentations and suitable immunization…

A Rohingya refugee child is administered an oral polio vaccine at an immunization centre in Bormapara makeshift settlement, Cox's Bazar district, Bangladesh, in December 2017. The vaccine procurement cycle has been defined as a sequence of related activities, starting from the needs assessment to contract management, and any subsequent monitoring…

A smiling boy shows his and his siblings' vaccination cards, in Svay Pak Village, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in March 2017.

The hands of a medical practitioner filling a syringe before administering a pneumococcal vaccine in Mapai district, Gaza Province, Mozambique, in July 2016. Assessment tools included in the landscape analysis The landscape analysis reviewed several existing assessments that include part of the procurement cycle. For more information and a summary…

Analysis for the creation of a toolbox assist practitioners and partners engaged in procurement of vaccines and devices.

A one-day baby girls is vaccinated in a sub-district hospital in Kurkhera Town, District Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, India. Maintaining high standards of adherence to procurement principles while delivering results effectively and efficiently is a challenging act due to complex internal and external factors playing at the intersection between needs,…, Navigate the toolbox:

What is the purpose of the assessment toolbox? Assessing national vaccine procurement systems can identify bottlenecks and help mitigate risks and challenges. Several Assessment tools assessment tools  have been developed by international institutions and partners with different purposes, scopes and assessment frameworks. Each one therefore takes…

A vaccine’s journey through the supply chain is complex. Because most vaccines are sensitive to heat or light, they must be transported and stored under correct conditions to maintain their quality and potency. This requires robust and reliable cold chain equipment.  Although cold chain equipment for the purposes of vaccine storage has existed for…

Each year, UNICEF supplies over two billion doses of vaccines , to reach approximately 45 per cent of the world’s children under five years of age. This annual investment, totaling $1.656 billion in 2019, supports routine immunization programmes, preventive campaigns and outbreak response around the world.  Over the past few decades, the vaccine…, Case study IPV: the fastest introduction and scale up of a vaccine ever, but not without challenges, In an effort to accelerate the global eradication of polio and help prevent a resurgence of the disease, WHO recommended in 2013 that all countries introduce at least one dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) into routine immunization schedules by the end of 2015. At the time, 126 countries were using only oral polio vaccine (OPV). By the end of…, Case study Making PCV available, affordable and in pace with demand, First licensed in 2000, the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) prevents pneumococcal diseases (such as pneumonia or meningitis) – a leading cause of mortality in children. In 2007, WHO issued a recommendation that countries include PCV in their national immunization programmes, however uptake was low due to various factors, including price. To…, Case study Navigating complex supply constraints to meet HPV vaccine demand, First licensed in 2006, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to protect against cervical cancer were recommended by WHO as a part of national immunization programmes in 2009. In 2012, Gavi began support for HPV vaccine demonstration programmes, and further broadened its programme policy in 2016 to increase uptake. The new guidelines allowed…

The What is a cold chain? cold chain support package provides commercial and technical information to enable an efficient and effective procurement process for cold chain products and services, thus contributing to the success of immunization programmes.  , Contact, For more information about the guidelines and procurement processes for cold chain products, please contact Supply Division Cold Chain Unit .