While immunization is one of the most successful public health interventions, coverage has plateaued over the last decade. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated disruptions have strained health systems, with 23 million children missing out on vaccination in 2020, 3.7 million more than in 2019 and the highest number since 2009.

During 2020, about 83% of infants worldwide (113 million infants) received 3 doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) vaccine, protecting them against infectious diseases that can cause serious illness and disability or be fatal.

Only 19 vaccine introductions were reported in 2020 (not including COVID-19 vaccine introductions), less than half of any year in the past two decades. This slowdown is likely to continue as countries focus on ongoing efforts to control the Covid-19 pandemic, and on the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines.

Complex vaccine delivery methodologies contribute to the challenges of reaching zero-dose children. Vaccine product innovations that ease delivery in resource-constrained settings are urgently needed to help immunizations recover from the impact of Covid-19 pandemic and achieve the IA2030 goals on equitable vaccination coverage. 

To enhance research in this area, PDR works to advance delivery technology development and uptake of innovative vaccine delivery technologies. In partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, PDR co-leads the Vaccine Innovation Prioritisation Strategy (VIPS) Alliance. The VIPS Alliance is a collaboration between Gavi, the World Health Organization (WHO), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and PATH –that aims to advance the development, uptake and impact of priority vaccine product innovations. The prioritization process concluded in May 2020 and three vaccine products are the current focus of the VIPS effort:  

• Microarray patches (MAP);
• Heat-stable and controlled-temperature chain qualified vaccines; and
• Barcodes on primary packaging.

In 2018, PDR formulated an expert working group to advance the product development of microarray patches, and developed and published a Target Product Profile for measles-rubella microarray patches (MR-MAP).  The group is now engaged in developing and validating use case scenarios and demand sizing for MR-MAP through broad stakeholder consultation, to help inform the MR-MAP vaccine value assessment.