General
10. Vaccination programs are part of the current outbreak response strategies for different diseases (Cholera, Ebola, Yellow Fever, Meningitis, etc.). Vaccination activities can be the main response program within a public health objective, or part of the overall emergency response strategy (for example, ring vaccinations and/or Frontline Health Workers vaccination for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). They are considered preventive measures, consequently blocking disease transmission within a target population. OSL provides technical and operational support to the different Vaccination Strategies during emergency responses in coordination with Expended Program of Immunization (EPI) and Incident management System (IMS).
Vaccination Support Principles
20. Values and Principles: All vaccination supported activities aim to operationalize the World Health Organisation's and intervention principles. Therefore, vaccination interventions aim to contribute towards, the relief of the suffering and the protection of affected populations from adverse events following immunization (AEFI).
30. At the same time technical and operational support is sustained based on adopting new emerging technologies to respond to the new challenges and requirements, participation in vaccination trials, and keeping and improving desired quality standards, based on scientific data and analysis.
40. Intervention limitations: While, the organisation's principals and ethical values provide a wide scope for vaccination support interventions, the operational mandate, technical capacities and financial resources may limit the scope of the interventions. Interventions therefore should be in accordance with the operational needs and should be adapted and tailored to the specific context.
50. Implementation Process: The key principle for emergency vaccinations is rapid infrastructural deployment and systems installation. Therefore, predefined and simplified emergency vaccination requirements for goods and processes, can ensure the rapid implementation of different vaccination strategies, while ensuring the provision of critical commodities and medical care. Having these requirements in place also reduces any delay in the overall emergency response operation. Defining requirements such as energy power for infrastructure support, active and passive cold chain capacities, and communications is part of it.
Vaccination support areas of expertise
60. Cold and ultra-cold chain: OSL is responsible for designing, dimensioning and implementing the appropriate cold chain and or ultra-cold chain infrastructure, which is defined by the operational needs, vaccination type and quantities.
70. OSL Coordination: In collaboration with specific vaccination expert and technical focal teams, OSL is responsible for developing the most appropriate infrastructure (adapted to the technical specification needs), maintaining defined stocks (within the contingency plans) and for emergency deployment of vaccines and equipment based on incident management requirements.
80. Vaccination's supplies management and team support in the field: OSL in collaboration with vaccination teams, provides support on vaccination supplies management, operational vaccinations kits and tools, and provides technical support on defining and implementing frontline support structures for vaccinations.
90. Waste management: As part of overall vaccination support, OSL develops and promotes WHO management standards on solid medical waste, provides operational supplies and builds structures and implements processes, either within medical structures and/or external ones; or in the specific cases implements ad hoc solutions adapted to different contexts.
100. System design and supervision: OSL provides technical and operational support, by conducting vaccination system assessments, building systems in their absence, or improving existing system. Technical and operational supports covers areas such as; infrastructure setup, importation of vaccines and associated vaccination's supplies, vaccines stocks management, associated vaccine waste treatment and final disposal, post vaccination monitoring and supporting the follow-up of adverse events following immunization (AEFI).
110. Overall remote temperature controls: OSL provides a global overview of vaccine operations, and promotes a remote-control temperature system, which facilitates the detection of cold chain failures, with automatic alarms, thus reducing vaccine losses and improving operational efficiencies. .
120. Vaccine stock management: OSL in coordination with a disease expert focal point and the incident management team, provides technical and operational support on the implementation of appropriate stock management during emergency responses and its deployment.
130. Safety and IPC measures: In collaboration with IPC, OSL ensures measures for respecting infection safety procedures are upheld. Activities include putting structures, and processes in pace that facilitate appropriate conditions for vaccination practices, which in turn protect health workers, beneficiaries and surrounding populations from any undesirable adverse effect due to the vaccination activities.
Emergency Vaccination Support Deployments
140. OSL Responsibilities: OSL is responsible for upholding WHO technical standards for vaccination activities during emergency response phases and providing both staff and or technical goods. Support may be provided in different ways, such as the provision of remote or onsite technical assistance, the development of specific emergency operational kits and modules, and/or improving staff capacity through trainings.
150. Coordination with other partners: OSL technical support to vaccination is principally focussed on assuring operational capacity and quality while supporting vaccination stakeholders at national and international levels. The Program of Immunization and other Ministry of Health departments are key lead coordinators when OSL plays a supporting role, providing training and technical assistance to improve national capacities, in diffusing new technologies and knowledge in accordance with the new vaccination challenges and innovations.
