Resources

The objective of this target product profile (TPP) is to describe key attributes—minimal and optimal targets—for microarray patch (MAP) delivery of COVID-19 vaccines. MAPs, also known as microneedle patches, consist of hundreds or thousands of microscopic projections that deliver dry vaccine or drug into the skin.The TPP describes key attributes for such a MAP for both LMIC and HIC markets. The document has been reviewed by a broad range of PATH staff with expertise in immunology, vaccine development, clinical trials, MAP technology, vaccine delivery, and vaccine manufacturing.

The COVID-19 Primer provides examples to planners, funders, and implementers looking to utilize digital health tools for pandemic and post-pandemic response. Created to guide digital investments in support of the COVID-19 vaccination response, the Primer showcases case studies that highlight the use of data and digital health tools to support immunization service delivery.

Virus hunter: Environmental surveillance and the polio endgame

Since 2014, PATH has been working with the Tanzania Ministry of Health (MOH) under the immunization and vaccine development (IVD) program to implement the better immunization data (BID) initiative in Tanzania. The BID initiative is grounded in the belief that better data and better decisions will lead to better health outcomes. The vision at BID initiative is to support countries to enhance immunization and overall health service delivery through improved data collection, quality, and use. In partnership with the MOH through the IVD Program, the BID initiative identified several critical data-related challenges in issues of data quality, limited data use capacity, inaccurate or uncertain target populations, poor visibility into vaccine supplies, and difficulty identifying children who defaulted on immunization schedules. As part of resolving these challenges, the BID initiative, in consultation with the MOH, introduced a holistic package of interventions in Tanzania. This included information system products, evidence-based practices, and capacity-building to empower health workers at all health system levels toward data-driven action. The key outcomes of this work were:An electronic immunization registry with supply chain information integrated into the vaccine information management system.Barcodes on child health cards and vaccine supplies for unique identification of children and vaccine management, respectively.A change management package, including peer support networks, targeted supportive supervision, and mentorship.From 2015 through 2020, the designed interventions were deployed in 3,748 health facilities in 15 regions of Tanzania: Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Geita, Katavi, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Morogoro, Mtwara, Mwanza, Njombe, Rukwa, Ruvuma, and Tanga.

Routine immunizations and new vaccine introductions have proven to be some of the best investments to improve the health of people around the globe. However, the trend in global vaccine coverage has been variable across regions, including completion of the vaccination package to meet the World Health Organization’s target of 90 percent coverage.Several factors have been found to influence vaccine access, vaccine coverage, and completion of the vaccination schedule. In Tanzania, these factors include socioeconomic status, gender dynamics, limited knowledge on the importance of immunization, and poor access to vaccination services.In addition, socioeconomic status in Tanzania is inadequately assessed in routine immunization to determine trends and population groups at risk of low immunization coverage and non-completion of the vaccine package. The existing immunization data collection tools, such as the tally book, monthly reporting form, and health management information system book do not capture the data elements necessary to determine the socioeconomic status of caregivers. Reporting tools provide aggregated data that do not provide the whole story on the collected data with other related factors on immunization inequities.The immunization and vaccine development program, in support of the GAVI HSS fund, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and PATH, through the better immunization data initiative, agreed to update the Tanzania immunization registry to capture socioeconomic data from routine vaccination services in Tanzania. The data will be used for analysis to determine trends and population groups at risk of low immunization coverage and non-completion of the vaccine package.In this report, we share the experiences of using the electronic immunization registry to accommodate assessment of immunization inequities, and the process used to develop the socioeconomic status assessment tool in Tanzania.