Approaching vaccination from end to end

Over nearly 20 years, the partnerships forged through the effort to introduce JE vaccination have had an impact that goes beyond JE in the Asian and Western Pacific regions. Not only did these partnerships result in more than 300 million children being protected from JE, they also strengthened health systems across multiple countries. Additionally, China is now positioned as a global vaccine manufacturer as a result of this project. As JE immunization gained steam throughout the JE-endemic region, these lessons learned emerged as potential tools for future delivery of vaccines.

So, what factors led to the project’s success? As the world faces new challenges with climate change, migration, and emerging infections, how can the global community adapt to continue ensuring protection from JE? How can partners use the JE project experience to inform current and future efforts to take on other health challenges?

This report tries to answer those questions. PATH and its partners have compiled five key lessons learned from the project that they hope will inform, challenge, and inspire ongoing efforts against JE, as well as other vaccination projects, to ensure impact and sustainability.

This high-level summary of lessons from the project is not meant to capture every detail or important learning. If you have questions or would like additional information about any of the lessons or examples shared throughout the report, please reach out by emailing us at jeproject@path.org.

This report was developed with support and input from several key partners. PATH would like to acknowledge the contributions of all partner organizations that supported and collaborated on efforts to advance Japanese encephalitis vaccination over the course of its projects, including but not limited to:

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Chengdu Institute of Biological Products
• Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
• International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh
• International Vaccine Institute
• Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies
• Microsoft
• Ministries of health and immunization programs in JE-endemic countries
• Research Institute for Tropical Medicine
• United Nations Children’s Fund
• University of Texas, Medical Branch
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• US Armed Forced Research Institute of Medical Sciences
• University of Liverpool
• World Health Organization