The cycle of vaccine procurement
The contract
In addition to standard government terms and conditions for the contract, any relevant clauses should be added to ensure quality, reliability and availability of the vaccines procured. It should be noted that care should be taken with regards to conformity of documentation. A contract that supersedes previous documentation (such as Bidding Documents), should include all requirements referred to in the previous documents to avoid confusion.
Contracts should also include, but not be limited to conditions related to:
Packaging and labelling
- Vaccines packed in insulated packaging in observance of their class type (whether sensitive to heat, lyophilized or freeze-sensitive).
- Temperature monitoring devices included with shipments.
- Use of cold chain monitoring technologies such as vaccine vial monitors.
- Clear markings on shipping cartons including batch number, expiry date and "vaccines for human use: to be kept refrigerated (2°C to 8°C)".
Shipping conditions and documents
- Inspection by designated agent at site of manufacturer prior to shipment to confirm adherence to contract specifications. In addition to visual inspection, under certain circumstances this may include sampling and testing requirements.
- Notification documents to be received in advance of shipment, including invoice, airway bill, packing list and lot release certificate from NRA of origin.
- Content of prenotification documents and documents received with shipment should include information on vaccine characteristics, number of shipping cartons, approximate weight and value of shipment, flight itinerary and expected time of arrival.
- May additionally request manufacturer's lot summary protocols, certificates of analysis or test summary sheets.
For more information on Packaging and Handling please refer to document entitled "Guidelines on the international packaging and shipping of vaccines (Revision)".
Delivery terms
- Airfreight used for international delivery, and preferably Carriage and Insurance Paid (CIP). For national suppliers, preferably Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU).
- Trans-shipment points clearly indicated and flights with no stop-overs preferred.
- Delivery dates clearly specified and partial deliveries not accepted without prior approval.
Supply and quality
Actions, for both contractual parties, to be taken in event of delay in supply, failure to supply or failure in quality should be specifically noted.
Related links
Last updated: 9 October 2008