Country readiness and delivery frequently asked questions
This page is no longer updated. Please see The COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership.
The Partnership builds on the substantial body of work realized by the Country Readiness and Delivery (CRD) workstream that was part of COVAX since early 2020, and which was made available global guidance and coordinated technical support for the implementation of COVID-19 vaccines.
What can countries do to get started preparing for COVID-19 vaccine introduction?
Countries can begin by conducting a self-assessment using the VIRAT/VRAF 2.0. The VIRAT/VRAF 2.0 provides countries with an integrated roadmap of milestones and a framework for self-monitoring progress in preparing for vaccine introduction.
Countries are advised to develop their National Deployment and Vaccination Plan (NDVP). The CRD workstream has developed Guidance on Developing a National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 Vaccines and a template for NDVP development which will help countries develop an operational plan for COVID-19 vaccine introduction.
Why should countries develop a national deployment and vaccination plan?
The National Deployment and Vaccination Plan (NDVP) is the operational plan to plan for, implement, and monitor COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Developing this plan helps countries to prepare for COVID-19 vaccines, identify resource needs, and streamline the process for introducing the COVID-19 vaccine. NDVPs should be uploaded by the designated country administrator to the Partners Platform.
How is this different from the VIRAT/VRAF 2.0?
The NDVP and the VIRAT/VRAF 2.0 are aligned to offer countries a harmonized approach for COVID-19 vaccine readiness. The VIRAT/VRAF 2.0 provides a roadmap for countries to plan for COVID-19 vaccine introduction and a structured framework for countries to self-monitor their readiness progress against key milestones. Countries can use the VIRAT/VRAF 2.0 to identify areas where support may be needed.
What resources are being developed to support countries in getting ready for COVID-19 vaccines?
The Country Readiness and Delivery workstream has developed a toolbox with guidance, tools, and trainings to support countries in preparing for COVID-19 vaccine introduction. These resources provide key information and tools for NITAGs, national policy makers, and other stakeholders on topics such as: supply and logistics, acceptance and uptake, vaccine safety, and beyond.
COVID-19 vaccination trainings are available including:
- The Orientation to national deployment and vaccination planning for COVID-19 vaccines OpenWHO course which helps national and sub-national focal points develop the NDVP and prepare for COVID-19 vaccine introduction: https://openwho.org/courses/covid-19-ndvp-en
- The COVID-19 vaccination training for health workers OpenWHO course which provides key information on how health workers can safely and efficiently administer COVID-19 vaccines: https://openwho.org/courses/covid-19-vaccination-healthworkers-en
- Vaccine specific training materials for COVID-19 vaccine products that receive WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL) procedure and/or prequalification are also available in the toolbox.”
Who will be the target groups for COVID-19 vaccine introduction? What delivery strategies will be used?
The WHO SAGE Roadmap for Prioritizing Uses of COVID-19 Vaccines in the Context of Limited Supply, which identifies 3 different scenarios: community transmission, sporadic cases or cluster of cases and no cases. In the community transmission scenario, health workers at high to very high risk of acquiring and transmitting infection followed by older adults are the initial priority groups. This global recommendation needs to be discussed at national level by NITAGs to determine if it is adapted to their national context, based on the local evidence on age structures, burden and risk factors but also operational feasibility.
Delivery strategies will very much depend on what current health systems and immunization programmes are already in place in a country. Ideally, once target populations are determined by the country NITAG, review of other platforms that can be leveraged to reach these target groups may provide the best strategies to deliver vaccines. In instances where no current interventions focus on the target group or are deemed insufficient, countries will need to consider possible options that could fit within their context. Examples of strategies that have been used in other programmes include fixed site vaccinations such as clinics, outreach activities at communal meeting places and/or house to house activities.
You can follow the status of COVID-19 Vaccines within WHO EUL/PQ evaluation process here.
What are the cold chain requirements for COVID-19 vaccine introduction?
Three cold chain temperature ranges are expected for the various COVID-19 vaccines under development: +2-8°C, -20°C, and -70°C. Careful assessment and mapping of the existing cold chain capacities within these temperature ranges and addressing identified gaps are necessary in planning for vaccine deployment. Information on vaccine stability, Vaccine Vial Monitors and expiration date may not be available during the initial vaccine deployment period.
Managing vaccines requiring +2-8°C and -20°C storage temperatures is similar to managing routine vaccines, with a strong focus on stringent monitoring of temperature, utilization and wastage to maximize vaccine efficacy and guide future global vaccine allocation.
Managing the storage, transport and distribution of vaccines that requires ultra-cold chain (-70°C) may be challenging for many countries and would require additional training and logistics to ensure sustained vaccine quality and minimize wastage. The COVID-19 vaccination: Country Guidance on Supply, Distribution and Logistics one of the resources developed by the Country Readiness and Delivery workstream of the ACT Accelerator, provides guidance and recommendations on how to effectively manage ultra-cold vaccines.
What lessons learned from past vaccine introduction experiences can inform COVID-19 vaccine introduction preparations?
The ACT Accelerator is incorporating lessons learned from existing vaccination programmes and past emergency vaccine introductions including pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccination programmes, ebola, polio, hepatitis, yellow fever, cholera, and meningitis.
Key lessons learned include:
- the importance of strong governance and transparent coordination mechanisms with strong stakeholder engagement,
- the value of providing technical and financial resources to countries so that they are empowered to effective conduct the immunization programme,
- building on existing systems and tools rather than re-inventing the wheel,
- relying on strong partnerships at all levels with clear roles and responsibilities, and
- ensuring the process remains flexible to keep decision-making ability and adaption in a rapidly evolving context.
How can countries combat misinformation?
The Misinformation Management Guide supports countries to understand misinformation, how it spreads and gets traction, what can be done to mitigate its impact, and how to develop an integrated social listening strategy. In addition to tracking misinformation, a social listening strategy enables ongoing monitoring of vaccine related conversations and identification of people’s concerns. This informs the design and content of communication and advocacy, community engagement and social mobilization interventions.
This work on misinformation management should be situated with a broader plan for achieving high levels of acceptance and uptake. This plan should be informed by local data on behavioural and social drivers, and include activities focused on community engagement, health worker training and quality services, risk communications preparedness, and targeted behavioural interventions. For more information, please refer to the guidance available on the Country Readiness and Delivery webpage.
How will data on country progress and implementation be collected and shared?
Existing tools will be modified and used to monitor and collect data at global and regional level.
The WHO/UNICEF Joint Reporting Form on Immunization will be modified to collect information on vaccination delivery strategy, uptake, and other programmatic indicators to address global and regional monitoring needs. Frequency of monitoring will be adapted to needs. The data will be reported by the Ministry of Health.
Data and analytics will be shared via the WHO website and dedicated dashboards according to the WHO data sharing policy.
How can I find out more information on the ACT Accelerator and the Country Readiness and Delivery work?
You can find regularly updated information and resources on the Country Readiness and Delivery webpage.