The role of the CDC in managing the COVID-19 vaccination program

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) International Vaccine Implementation and Assessment (CIVIE) Program is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assist national health departments and related organizations in planning, implementing, and assessing COVID. Founded by. -19 vaccination programs.

A team of CDC scientists recently published an article in the journal Emerging infectious diseases Discuss the role of the CDC in managing the COVID-19 vaccination program.

Background

The pandemic of COVID-19 caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is straining the global healthcare system. Several vaccines have been developed worldwide to break the chain of infection and control pandemics. The World Health Organization (WHO) has published an Emergency Use List (EUL) and policy recommendations for these vaccines. A total of 10 COVID-19 vaccines are included in EUL.

COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) is a global initiative to accelerate vaccine development and ensure fair global distribution of vaccines. A total of 145 countries participate in COVAX, with the US Government being the largest contributor.

CIVIE program

The CIVIE program was established by the US CDC to work with national health departments to support the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the COVID-19 vaccination program. A total of 55 countries, including 27% of the world’s population, are supported by CIVIE.

CIVIE has set seven priorities: vaccine policy development, program planning, vaccine trust and demand, data management and use, workforce development, vaccine safety and assessment.

Challenges in implementing the COVID-19 vaccine

The global implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine faces many challenges. The main challenge was domestic and international delivery and distribution of vaccines.

In the early stages of the vaccination campaign, there was a significant imbalance between vaccine production and supply and vaccine demand. In addition, unfair vaccine distribution, multiple vaccination plans, lack of evidence for some vaccines, labor shortages, depletion of health systems, inadequate vaccine safety monitoring processes, dissemination of false information, etc. , There are other factors that collectively made it difficult to deploy the first vaccine.

Outcomes of the COVID-19 vaccination program

Despite early hurdles, the global COVID-19 vaccination program has provided immense opportunities to manage the spread of pandemics and restore the global medical and economic system.

The support provided by CIVIE to the Ministry of Health in each country has brought many benefits, including strengthening partnerships and establishing new cooperation. In addition, evidence gathered from clinical trials and hands-on settings contributes significantly to improving the immune system.

These improvements include the development of new vaccination platforms, the strengthening of national vaccination programs, the establishment of new strategies to combat future public health emergencies, and the introduction of non-COVID vaccines withheld during the pandemic. May bring long-term benefits.

Experience gathered from previous vaccination programs

Much lessons have been learned from the vaccination programs implemented during the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa from 2014 to 2016. These programs faced the same challenges as the COVID-19 vaccination program. This includes vaccine production and supply shortages, unfair distribution and access.

Since the outbreak of Ebola occurred primarily in rural areas, it was difficult to identify traditional therapists and local health care workers. This challenge highlighted the need for strong microplanning and the development of health care worker registrations to ensure effective immunity.

The Ebola Vaccination Program highlights the importance of public communication in fostering trust and motivation for vaccination. These experiences helped CIVIE develop effective strategies for improving COVID-19 vaccine intake.

To expand its seasonal influenza vaccination program in low- and middle-income countries, the CDC launched the Influenza Vaccination Partnership (PIVI) with the Global Health Task Force (TFGH) and WHO in 2013. Skills such as policy making, microplanning, communication and staff training. This has accelerated the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Meningococcal serotype A-conjugated vaccine (MACV) was developed to prevent the epidemic of meningitis in Africa. Lessons learned from the MACV program include strategies for quickly launching high-volume vaccination campaigns in low-resource settings, the introduction of public communication services, and the development of sustainable vaccination programs.