Chair and members of the ITAG; Chair and members of national immunization technical advisory groups; participants from ministries of health; colleagues from partner agencies,
I welcome you to this special session of the South-East Asia Region Immunization Technical Advisory Group (ITAG).
Since July, when this ITAG last met, research and development on vaccines against COVID-19 has moved at an unprecedented pace.
As of 12 November, there are 48 candidate vaccines in various stages of clinical evaluation, including 11 in phase 3 trials. There are 164 candidate vaccines in preclinical evaluation.
Global buy-in to the WHO-supported ACT-Accelerator and COVAX Facility has gathered pace. To adequately support the mass procurement and delivery of vaccines, tests and treatments globally, additional funding of around US$ 4.3 billion is needed immediately, and a further US$ 23.8 billion will be needed next year.
Most countries of the Region plan to obtain COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility to vaccinate 20% of their population.
Several of the Region’s Member States are among the world’s largest vaccine manufacturers and will be vital to global production.
Almost all countries have now completed and shared the Vaccine Introduction Readiness Assessment Tool, highlighting the Region’s steady and sustained progress, for which this ITAG laid the foundations in July.
Across the Region, several gaps nevertheless persist, which I urge this ITAG to address.
First, we must urgently identify the priority groups to be vaccinated through COVAX Facility vaccines and develop clear and efficient pathways for the approval of COVID-19 vaccines.
National immunization technical advisory groups must play a leading role, providing evidence-based advice to programme managers and planners that is context-specific and which takes into account epidemiologic settings and how they impact the risk-profile of different groups, whether based on age, underlying health and comorbidities, or socio-demographic risks.
Front line health personnel in particular must be provided priority access across all settings, and whatever the supply.
Second, we must rapidly mobilize the operational resources required to achieve adequate coverage.
Even to reach an initial 20% coverage, countries will have to increase cold chain capacity and mobilize and train human resources, to note just two examples.
Additional domestic funding is needed, but the collaboration of international partners will be especially important.
I give special thanks to the Region’s subcommittee for COVID-19 vaccine deployment, which includes key partners such as UNICEF, Gavi, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, US CDC, International Federation of the Red Cross, and Rotary International.
Third, we must ensure that COVID-19 vaccination is linked to overall national response strategies.
Manufacturing vaccines to develop immunity for most populations will take time.
It is too early to say how long the protection of approved vaccines will last.
In a crisis such as this there are no silver bullets, and no time for complacency.
WHO will continue to support all countries to aggressively implement the basic public health measures that we know work, and which must continue to be applied as and when vaccines are rolled out.
Your deliberations today and tomorrow will be of critical importance to the Region’s efforts to prepare for the equitable and efficient deployment of COVID-19 vaccines.
I urge you to make the most of this opportunity and to continue to demonstrate the value of this ITAG within the overall COVID-19 response.
I wish you successful deliberations and look forward to being apprised of the outcomes.
Thank you.