The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is urging countries in the Americas to make sure they are prepared to roll out COVID-19 vaccines. Information provided voluntarily to PAHO by countries shows important advances, but some gaps remain.
Key areas for a successful vaccine roll-out include the development of national vaccination plans, establishment of expedited regulatory processes, preparation of health workers, and strengthening of cold chain capacity.
“Member States supported by PAHO have been working tirelessly in responding to the challenges (of the pandemic), and are now getting ready for, or implementing, the COVID-19 vaccination,” PAHO Director Carissa F. Etienne said to regional ministers of health during a recent meeting on COVID-19 vaccines. “PAHO will continue to support its Member States to ensure programmatic, operational and financial readiness for procurement, delivery, and administering of COVID-19 vaccines.”
As of February 8, 30 countries of the Americas provided information about their COVID-19 vaccine readiness through the Vaccine Introduction Readiness Tool, or VIRAT, an online platform. Of those, 21 had shared their national vaccination plan and 20 had reviewed their cold chain equipment and procedures. Three cold chain temperature ranges are expected for the various COVID-19 vaccines under development: +2-8°C, -20°C, and -70°C.
It is important to involve the national regulatory authorities in the process to assess the national capacities in key aspects such as authorization and importation procedures, assessment of cold chain capacities, and investigation of Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI). A recent survey showed that 43% of the national regulatory authorities in the Region of the Americas were not aware of the VIRAT platform.
The VIRAT platform is continuously updated to allow public health authorities, academic institutions, and civil society to track readiness for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
The COVAX Facility, the global mechanism to ensure equitable distribution of the vaccines regardless of countries’ incomes, estimates it will provide 35.3 million doses to the countries of the Americas between February and the second quarter of 2021.
PAHO has provided technical assistance to help countries prepare for vaccine deployment. It also has assisted countries in monitoring safety data; with logistics to coordinate delivery of doses and their monitoring; with recruiting and training staff so health personnel know how to deliver vaccines; and with public information campaigns to ensure people know where, when, and why to receive their doses.
