Strengthening Routine Immunization Programs Worldwide What CDC Is Doing

CDC partners with countries to provide evidence-based technical expertise to strengthen and expand the routine delivery of immunizations through the design and evaluation of strategies to enhance disease surveillance systems, improve vaccine coverage and data quality; assist in training of national immunization technical advisory bodies; make pre-vaccine introduction assessments and post-introduction evaluations; assist in evaluating projects that integrate non-vaccine interventions, such as malaria-preventing bed nets; participate in advocacy events such as regional vaccination weeks; and strengthen routine immunization delivery systems and programs evidence for the introduction of new and underutilized vaccines in partnership with the GAVI Alliance.

This work includes

• Helping design and evaluate strategies to strengthen disease surveillance systems, improve vaccination coverage, enhance data quality, and ultimately reduce the occurrence of VPDs.
• Assisting in establishing and strengthening national immunization technical advisory groups (NITAGs).
• Conducting pre-vaccine introduction assessments and post-introduction evaluations.
• Building capacity and, in selected countries, implementing routine immunization strategies.
• Helping evaluate projects that integrate non-vaccine interventions (such as providing malaria-preventing bed nets) with routine immunization programs or helping define the most efficient and effective models for integrating additional interventions (such as providing safe water and improving hygiene).
• Enhancing the capacity of countries to collect and use immunization and VPD surveillance data to improve the performance of their immunization systems.
• Strengthening routine immunization delivery systems and programs for the introduction of new and underused vaccines.

Improved Capacity for Immunization Data Quality and Use

A crucial function of all immunization systems is to properly collect and analyze immunization data. Having high-quality immunization data is necessary for properly estimating vaccination coverage, improving the ability to plan and reach unvaccinated children, and ensuring proper planning and availability of vaccines, as well as for interaction with international partners such as the GAVI Alliance. CDC’s Global Immunization Division engages in numerous activities, in collaboration with ministries of health, local health partners, and international agencies, to improve the quality and use of immunization data.