The Global Immunization meeting: Protect, innovate, accelerate: Report

The Global Immunization Meeting: Protect, Innovate, Accelerate was organized jointly by WHO and UNICEF and served as forum to update the global immunization community on implementing the new vaccines, strengthening routine immunization and accelerated disease control pillars of the Global Vaccine Action Plan. The meeting also provided a basis for discussions with immunization partners to identify areas where each partner will best contribute to advancing the common agenda. The objectives of the Global Immunization Meeting were to review and discuss among global, regional and country immunization partners, key issues related to strengthening routine immunization, to the implementation of new and under-utilized vaccines and to accelerated disease control efforts – notably for measles, rubella and maternal and neonatal tetanus – including alignment with polio eradication efforts. This year, particular consideration and review were given to the following issues:

Technical updates on new strategies for reaching unreached populations with routine vaccination, and discussions on major opportunities and challenges with new approaches; Review of activities and lessons learned from countries and regions in the implementation of new vaccines; Discussion of innovative approaches for achieving measles, rubella and tetanus elimination, and new vaccine delivery technologies; Exchange of information between WHO, UNICEF and other immunization partners - at all levels - on respective roles and responsibilities in the provision of support to countries.