Enhancing the Essential Immunization Programme at the Heart of Pandemic Preparedness and Response

On May 23 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CEST the governments of Bangladesh, Canada, Colombia, and Ghana and Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) partners Gavi, UNICEF, United Nations Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and the World Health Organization (WHO), will co-host a special WHA side event, “Enhancing the Essential Immunization Programme at the Heart of Pandemic Preparedness and Response.” Panelists will discuss the role of immunization at the heart of pandemic preparedness and response and how immunization is an essential system within the global health architecture. IA2030 is an ambitious global strategy to maximize the lifesaving impact of vaccines. IA2030 aims to reduce by half the number of children who completely miss out on essential vaccines, achieve 500 introductions of new or under-used vaccines in low- and middle-income countries, and achieve 90% coverage for key life-saving vaccines. If those goals are achieved, the strategy will avert over 50 million deaths and be of robust capacity to withstand the impact of a pandemic and rapidly deliver a response involving vaccination.