Challenges in capacity building of national immunization programs and emergency or pandemic vaccination responses in the Global Health Security Agenda member countries.

Abstract

The Immunization Action Package aims to increase the vaccination rate for vaccine-preventable diseases to save lives. To achieve this, member countries of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) must have the capacity to implement sustainable national immunization programs (NIPs) and to respond to emergency vaccination scenarios. This article focuses on 4 major areas of NIP capacity, including in emergency situations: infrastructure capacity, sustainable financing capacity, vaccine access and equity, and vaccination hesitancy. Countries require resilient infrastructure to achieve high vaccination rates and develop preparedness for public health emergencies. Financial sustainability is crucial in achieving high vaccination coverage to best implement initiatives and national programs. Furthermore, challenges to NIPs include vaccine access and equity, as inequitable distribution and access to vaccines for coronavirus disease 2019 accelerated the impact of the pandemic. Lastly, the correlation between low acceptance and successful implementation of national initiatives suggests that vaccination hesitancy is another challenge to NIPs. In an attempt to overcome these challenges, the Expert Forum of the GHSA Seventh Ministerial Meeting was held to provide sessions allowing countries to share their national case studies and discuss strategies for capacity building of country-level NIPs, including for emergency responses.