Fifteenth Meeting of the WHO South-East Asia Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group

Overview

The Fifteenth Meeting of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group (SEAR-ITAG) was held from 20 to 23 August 2024 in New Delhi, India. ITAG is a regional technical expert group established by the WHO Regional Director for South-East (SE) Asia to provide advice on all aspects of immunization, vaccines and the prevention, control, elimination and eradication of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). It comprises experts from disciplines such as programme management, communicable disease and VPD control, virology, epidemiology, immunization and behavioural sciences. The managers of the national Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), national surveillance focal points, representatives of national immunization technical advisory groups (NITAGs) and partner agencies participate in ITAG’s annual meeting.

The SEAR-ITAG meets at least once a year as well as on an ad-hoc basis to provide guidance to the immunization programme, with a particular focus on:

• setting regional priorities for immunization and vaccines;
• reviewing regional and Member State policies, strategies and plans for the control, elimination and/or eradication of VPDs, the eradication of polio, elimination of measles and rubella, elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus, and acceleration of the control of hepatitis B;
• making recommendations on the framework for the development of national immunization policies, and on the operational aspects of the implementation of these policies;
  
• recommending a framework for and approaches to the periodic evaluation and strengthening of routine immunization (RI) services and systems; 
• advising Member States on the choice of new vaccines and optimal strategies, and providing technical guidance on the introduction of these vaccines and on monitoring and evaluating their impact after their introduction into national immunization programmes (NIPs); 
• promoting and providing technical guidance on the implementation of high-quality VPD surveillance, and on setting up high-quality laboratory networks to support VPD surveillance;
• advising Member States on the regulatory requirements for ensuring the quality and safety of the vaccines used in NIPs; 
• providing guidance on public–private partnerships in immunization and vaccines; and
• identifying research topics in immunization and vaccines and reviewing the conduct 
• and results of such research projects.