title: National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs): guidance for their establishment and strengthening.
abstract: The majority of industrialized and some developing countries have formally established national technical advisory bodies to guide immunization policies; other countries are working towards or contemplating the establishment of such bodies. These advisory bodies are often referred to as National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs). A NITAG is a technical resource supplying guidance to national policy makers and programme managers to enable them to make evidence-based immunization related policy and program decisions. The focus of this paper is to: (1) review the value and functions of a NITAG; (2) provide directions and identify issues for countries to consider when establishing or improving the functioning of a NITAG; and (3) outline potential WHO and partners' roles and activities in support of the establishment and strengthening of NITAGs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, World Health Organization, 20 Ave Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. duclosp@who.int
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Duclos
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees / Q000458:organization & administration*; D032802:Committee Membership; D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making; D006291:Health Policy; D007114:Immunization / Q000592:standards*; D014944:World Health Organization