Opinion: Strengthening vaccination programs through collaboration

Vaccination is one of the most important public health success stories in history and should be a cornerstone in protecting all of our communities. Despite its important role and proven track record, the vaccination sector is not immune to obstacles and setbacks. The COVID-19 pandemic created challenges in maintaining routine vaccination programs and exposed underlying inequities and access disparities.

Global public health leaders now face a critical task: collaborating to create new ways to strengthen vaccination systems to reach people across all backgrounds, geographies, and stages of life who are at risk of potentially devastating vaccine-preventable illnesses. We must, and can, do more to help protect our communities.

COVID-19 exposed vulnerabilities in vaccination programs

While the world raced to develop, supply, and deliver COVID-19 vaccines, the challenge remained in maintaining routine vaccination for other vaccine-preventable diseases for which vaccines have long existed. The impact was felt globally across countries and across income levels. While vaccination rates have begun to recover in many populations, broad disruptions in routine vaccinations pose risks of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases and potential long-term risks to public health.

The pandemic also revealed underlying health inequities and reminded us of the importance of preserving trust in vaccines and the institutions surrounding vaccination programs. Many factors contributing to vaccination inequities — including lack of trust, gaps in education, income and wealth, and limited access to health care — result from existing infrastructure and societal challenges that were magnified by the COVID-19 global crisis. Now more than ever, we have an opportunity to evaluate and strengthen our approach to building trust and improving routine vaccination services for everyone who can benefit from them.

Progress through collaboration across sectors

By increasing vaccination coverage, we could help save and improve more lives globally each year. Given the breadth of expertise, capabilities, and reach of private companies and global public health decision-making bodies, I am confident that, working together, we have what it takes to overcome the challenges presented by the pandemic.

One of the most effective ways to build trust, improve vaccination equity and access, and increase routine vaccinations is through collaborations across and beyond the traditional vaccination ecosystem. Stakeholders at local, national, and global levels — including governments, the private sector, advocacy organizations, and community partners — all serve important roles. And while there is no one-size-fits-all approach, we can work together to re-imagine what is possible and deploy creative solutions that effectively address the challenges.

Local organizations and community leaders have a deep understanding of the issues contributing to inequities and low routine vaccination rates in their communities, and they are essential to identifying and executing solutions. We know this to be the case from our efforts through ImmUNITY Chicago, an initiative we helped catalyze with local partners to address lower vaccination rates among neighborhoods in the Southwest Side of Chicago, predominantly among communities of color. ImmUNITY Chicago convened public health groups, civic organizations, and employers to build trust, strengthen appreciation for vaccination, and encourage vaccination uptake among underserved populations — one community at a time.

Prior to the pandemic, MSD supported Immuniser Lyon, an initiative in Lyon, France, to address distrust and a lack of confidence in vaccination through a collaboration with regional health agencies, local health care professionals, hospitals, patients’ associations, and local governments. MSD continues to support a similar initiative in the Philippines following a period of declining public trust in vaccination by working with diverse stakeholders to address common misconceptions and help restore confidence around vaccination. These community-based approaches that rely upon trusted and connected local leaders and organizations are key to developing solutions uniquely tailored to community needs. The private sector can — and should — be a catalyst and supporter of these bespoke efforts on the ground.  

Strategic global collaborations are also critical to enabling stronger, more sustainable vaccination programs. Core components of these programs include robust health system infrastructure, trained health care workers, advanced disease surveillance, community outreach tools, and well-managed supply chains. MSD, along with several other vaccine companies, works with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance — a global alliance that has helped to vaccinate nearly half of the world’s children in low-income countries. MSD also works with the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers Foundation to support Gavi’s supply chain initiatives, in turn helping to expand access and strengthen regulatory pathways and procurement models in areas that need it most.

Hope for a bright future

Though the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged all of us in unique and unexpected ways, I am optimistic about our future. As we continue to navigate the new normal, we must carry forward learnings from recent years to build stronger, more resilient vaccination programs that address ongoing and emerging health threats. By going where the need exists and continuing to invest in innovative, strategic, and diverse collaborations, I am confident we will find new ways to solve complex public health problems. Together, we can help create a more equitable future where vaccines are available to and accepted by all who can benefit from them.

For more information about MSD’s work in vaccines, visit https://www.msd.com/research/vaccines/