Considerations for sustainable influenza vaccine production in developing countries.
Through its Global Action Plan for Influenza Vaccines (GAP), the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the United States Department of Health and Human Services has produced a checklist to support policy-makers and influenza vaccine manufacturers in identifying key technological, political, financial, and logistical issues affecting the sustainability of influenza vaccine production. This checklist highlights actions in five key areas that are beneficial for establishing successful local vaccine manufacturing. These five areas comprise: (1) the policy environment and health-care systems; (2) surveillance systems and influenza evidence; (3) product development and manufacturing; (4) product approval and regulation; and (5) communication to support influenza vaccination. Incorporating the checklist into national vaccine production programmes has identified the policy gaps and next steps for countries involved in GAP's Technology Transfer Initiative. Lessons learnt from country experiences provide context and insight that complement the checklist's goal of simplifying the complexities of influenza prevention, preparedness, and vaccine manufacturing.
Health Systems and Innovation Cluster, World Health Organization, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. Electronic address: nanneic@who.int.
Claudia
C
Nannei
Office of Pandemics and Emerging Threats, Office of Global Affairs, US Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC 20201, USA.
Christopher
C
Chadwick
Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Hiba
H
Fatima
Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Shoshanna
S
Goldin
Health Systems and Innovation Cluster, World Health Organization, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
Myriam
M
Grubo
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Alexandra
A
Ganim
D003906:Developing Countries; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006078:Government Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011634:Public Health; D018581:Technology Transfer; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States; D014483:United States Dept. of Health and Human Services; D014611:Vaccination; D014944:World Health Organization
D007252:Influenza Vaccines
Pandemic influenza preparedness; Policy coherence; Sustainability; Vaccine manufacturing