WHO Reference documents

This document aims to help programmes develop national policies and procedures related to vaccine management. It is especially intended for EPI managers and national logisticians who will start this process by:

* writing national policies for immunization services;
* writing procedures for their implementation;
* preparing implementation and evaluation plans.

Aide-memoire for prevention of freeze damage to vaccines (WHO/IVB/07.09)

Aide memoire to ensure the efficiency and safety of mass immunization campaigns with injectable vaccines (WHO/V&B/04.07)

Aussi disponible en français

B
C

Catalogue of immunization policy recommendations

This catalogue is a compilation of the immunization policy recommendations of WHO's Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals.

Common assessment tool for immunization services (CAT)

Booklet 1  : Assessment Methodology
Booklet 2  : Planning Team Assessment Instructions
Booklet 3  : National Sub-Team Assessment Instructions
Booklet 4  : Sub-National Sub-Team Assessment Instructions
Booklet 5  : Service Delivery Sub- Team Assessment Instructions
Summary  PowerPoint Presentation

D

Description and comparison of the methods of cluster sampling and lot quality assurance sampling to assess immunization coverage  (WHO/V&B/01.26)

Deworming and immunization campaigns

PowerPoint Presentation by A. Montresor, D. Engels, H. Allen & L. Savioli ; Parasitic Diseases and Vector Control, World Health Organization, 2005

Distribution of vitamin A during national immunization days(WHO/EPI/GEN/98.06)

A generic addendum to the Field guide for supplementary activities aimed at achieving polio eradication, 1996 revision

Aussi disponible en français

District guidelines for yellow fever surveillance  (WHO/EPI/GEN/98.09)

Aussi disponible en français

E

Economics of immunization: a guide to the literature and other resources  (WHO/V&B/04.02)  (1.63MB)

Ensuring the quality of locally produced vaccines and the viability of local production : WHO policy statement (WHO/VSQ/98.03).

Also available in French, Spanish and Russian.

Equipment specifications and verification protocols:

E1 : Cold rooms and freezer rooms


E2 : Transport (currently not available)


E3 : Refrigerators and freezers


E4 : Cold boxes and vaccine carriers


E5 : Icepacks


E6 : Temperature monitoring devices


E7 : Cold chain accessories and spare parts(currently not available)


E8 : Immunization devices : There is no specification protocol for this category


Pre-qualification of single-use injection devices : A guideline for manufacturers
List of prequalified devices


E9 : Steam sterilizers (being phased out)


E10 : Waste management


E11 : Specimen collection equipment


For all of the above

F

Fact Sheet - User fees for immunization in developing countries

(related to document entitled Practice and policies on user fees for immunization in developing countries) WHO/V&B/01.07
Also available in French and Russian

Field manual for neonatal tetanus elimination (WHO/V&B/99.14).

Aussi disponible en français

G

Getting started with vaccine vial monitors (WHO/V&B/02.35)

Global Immunization Vision and Strategy (GIVS) (A58/12)

Select your language and downloading modalities from the site. Available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian.

GPV policy statement: Vaccine donations (WHO/VSQ/97.05)

Also available in French and Spanish.

Guidelines for environmental surveillance of poliovirus circulation (WHO/V&B/03.03)

Guideline for establishing or improving primary and intermediate vaccine stores. Geneva, 2002 (WHO/V&B/02.34)

The 2002 edition of this document takes into account developments that have occurred during the past seven years.

Guideline for preparation of the product summary file for vaccine prequalification (WHO/IVB/06.16) (925 KB)

Guidelines for estimating costs of introducing new vaccines into the national immunization system (WHO/V&B/02.11)

Also available in  Russian

Guidelines on the international packaging and shipping of vaccines (WHO/V&B/01.05)

This document replaces the former guidelines, WHO/EPI/CCIS/81.04 Rev.5 (1992) and all previous revisions

H

Haemophilus influenzae type b immunization (fact sheet) (WHO/V&B/01.29)

Also available in Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish

Health-care waste management: Guidance for the development and implementation of a National Action Plan (WHO/PHE/IVB/...)

Health reform and priority health interventions: the case of immunization services,

Geneva, 15-16 November 1999 (WHO/V&B/01.33)

Health Sector Reform (HSR)

The impact of health sector development on immunization services (fact sheet 1 of 3) (WHO/V&B/03.21)  (438 KB)
Fact sheet for national managers (fact sheet 2 of 3) (WHO/V&B/03.22)  (849 KB)
Health Sector Reform (HSR): sub-national management of immunization services during health sector reform (fact sheet 3 of 3) (WHO/V&B/03.23)  (435 KB)

Hepatitis B immunization (fact sheet) (WHO/V&B/01.28)

Also available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian  and Spanish

How to look after a cold room or freezer room: self-assessment tool, Geneva, 2002 (WHO/V&B/02.30)

Human Papillomavirus and HPV vaccines: technical information for policy-makers and health professionals  (WHO/IVB/07.05)

I

Identifying and Overcoming Obstacles to Increase Immunization Coverage

Introduction to the course

Module 1: How to gather and use information from the community

Module 2: How to communicate with mothers about immunization

Facilitators' guide: Introduction

Facilitators' guide to Module 1

Facilitators' guide to Module 2

aussi disponible en français, sous la lettre R

Immunization and health reform: making reforms work for immunization. (WHO/V&B/01.44) Electronic copy only.

A reference guide. Prepared for WHO/V&B/EPI by Rachel Feilden and Frank Nielsen

Immunization Costing and Financing : A Tool and User Guide for comprehensive Multi-Year Planning (cMYP) (WHO/IVB/06.15) (2,7 MB)

Immunization Country Profiles   Select the country

Immunization Coverage Cluster Survey : Reference Manual (WHO/IVB/04.23)

Immunization in Practice   in English

Immunization safety: a global priority. (WHO/V&B/00.12)

Reprint of the special theme articles of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2000;78(2): 153-231

Immunological basis for immunization - 8 modules in English and French

Intellectual Property Rights and Vaccines in Developing Countries (WHO/IVB/04.21) (9.5 MB)

Introduction of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine into immunization programmes. (WHO/V&B/00.05)

Management guidelines, including information for health workers and parents

Also available in Arabic, Chinese, French and Russian

Introduction of hepatitis B vaccine into childhood immunization services. (WHO/V&B/01.31)

Management guidelines, including information for health workers and parents

Also available in Arabic, Chinese and Russian

Issues relating to the use of BCG in immunization programmes : a discussion document (WHO/V&B/99.23)

Aussi disponible en français

J

WHO publishes surveillance standards for JE

WHO standardsStandards for country surveillance of JE were released by WHO earlier this year. This important resource provides guidelines on case definitions, laboratory criteria, region-specific types of surveillance, and data analysis. The JE surveillance standards were added to the existing WHO-recommended standards for surveillance of selected vaccine-preventable diseases. English

K

Key elements for improving supplementary immunization activities for polio eradication (WHO/V&B/00.22)

Also available in  French  and  Spanish

L
M

Making Surveillance Work

Module 1: Rapid assessment of surveillance for vaccine-preventable diseases (WHO/V&B/01.08)
Aussi disponible en français

Module 3: Logistics management (WHO/V&B/01.10)

Module 4: Data management (WHO/V&B/01.11)
Aussi disponible en français

Making use of vaccine vial monitors

Flexible vaccine management for polio supplementary immunization activities (WHO/V&B/00.14)
Annex 1 VVM fact sheet  - available as one page
Also available in French and Spanish

Malaria Control and Immunization, a Sound Partnership With Great Potential : Joint WHO - UNICEF Statement

in  English  and   French

Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination by 2005.

Strategies for achieving and maintaining elimination (WHO/V&B/02.09) (Joint UNICEF, WHO and UNFPA document)
Aussi disponible en français

Module on best practices for measles surveillance (WHO/V&B/01.43)

Monitoring Vaccine Wastage at Country Level : Guidelines for Programme Managers (WHO/V&B/03.18/Rev.1), May 2005, 77 pages

N

National Regulatory Authorities Aide-Memoire

O

Options for a global fund for new vaccines (WHO/V&B/99.13)

Overcoming Freezing in the Cold Chain : Report of the Technologies and Operations Panel (TOP) meeting held in Geneva
on 25 February 2003

Review of literature as background reading (compiled by PATH) :

Evidence of Vaccine Freezing in the Cold Chain
Effects of Freezing on Vaccine Potency

P

Practice and policies on user fees for immunization in developing countries (WHO/V&B/01.07)

Also available in French and  Russian
(related to Fact sheet - User fees for immunization in developing countries) WHO/V&B/01.06

Preparation of national health-care waste management plans in sub-saharan countries :

Guidance manual  select download modalities

en français ci-dessous

Préparation des plans nationaux de gestion des déchets de soins médicaux en Afrique subsaharienne :

Manuel d'aide à la décision  choisissez les modalités de téléchargement

Procedure for expedited review of imported prequalified vaccines for use in national immunization programs (WHO/IVB/07.08)

Proceedings of the Fifth Global Vaccine Research Forum, June 2004  (WHO/IVB/05.09)

Procurement of Vaccines for Public Sector Programmes - A reference manual  (WHO/V&B/99.12)

Product Information Sheets, 2000 edition  (WHO/V&B/00.13)

Protocol for assessing neonatal tetanus mortality in the community using a combination of cluster and lot quality assurance sampling. Field test version. (WHO/V&B/02.05)

Q

Protocol to Evaluate the Risks of Freezing in the Vaccine Cold Chain (WHO/IVB/05.01)

Quality of the cold chain: WHO-UNICEF policy statement on the use of vaccine vial monitors in immunization services (WHO/V&B/99.18)

Aussi disponible en  français

R

Repérer et surmonter les obstacles à l'amélioration de la couverture vaccinale

Introduction - Modules du stagiaire

Module 1: Recueiller des informations dans la communauté et les exploiter

Module 2: Communiquer avec les mères au sujet des vaccinations

Introduction - Lignes directrices à l'usage de l'animateur

Lignes directrices à l'usage de l'animateur pour Module 1

Lignes directrices à l'usage de l'animateur pour Module 2

Report of the Meeting of the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Polio Eradication September 2004 (WHO/Final Draft 24/09/04)

Review of studies conducted on the use of needle removal devices  (unnumbered)

by Elizabetta Rapiti, MD, MPH  ; Geneva, Switzerland, January 2006

S

Safe Health-care Waste Management : WHO Policy Paper

English and French

Safety of injections: WHO-UNICEF-UNFPA joint statement on the use of auto-disable syringes in immunization services (WHO/V&B/99.25)

Also available in French, Russian and Spanish.
(This document revises and replaces the former policy statement WHO/EPI/LHIS/97.04 Rev.1)

Safety of mass immunization campaigns (Fact Sheet) (WHO/V&B/02.10)

Aussi disponible en  français

State or the World's Vaccine and Immunization-2002: Joint WHO-UNICEF-World Bank publication

Full Report in English
Full report in French
Executive summary in English
Executive summary in French
Executive summary in Spanish
Executive summary in Arabic
Executive summary in Chinese
Executive summary in Russian

State or the World's Vaccine and Immunization-2004: Joint WHO-UNICEF-World Bank publication

Full Report in English
Full report in French
Executive summary in English

Study Protocol for Temperature Monitoring in the Vaccine Cold Chain(WHO/IVB/05.01), January 2005, 40 pages

Surveillance of adverse events following immunization (AEFI)

Field guide for managers of immunization programmes (WHO/EPI/TRAM/93.02 Rev.1)
Aussi disponible en français

Sustainable outreach services (SOS).

A strategy for reaching the unreached with immunization and other services (WHO/V&B/00.37)
Aussi disponible en français

T

Technet consultation, Harare, 6-10 December 1999 (WHO/V&B/00.19).

Aussi disponible en français

Technologies for vaccine delivery in the 21st century by J. Lloyd (WHO/V&B/00.35)

Temperature monitors for vaccines and the cold chain (WHO/V&B/99.15)

Aussi disponible en français

Temperature sensitivity of vaccines (WHO/IBV/06.10)

Testing the correlation between vaccine vial monitor and vaccine potency (WHO/V&B/99.11).

Aussi disponible en français

Thermostability of vaccines (WHO/GPV/98.07).

Aussi disponible en français

Tool for the assesment of injection safety (WHO/V&B/01.30)

Also available in French and Spanish

U

Use of opened multi-dose vials of vaccine in subsequent immunization sessions : WHO policy statement (WHO/V&B/00.09).

Also available in French and Spanish

User’s handbook for vaccine cold rooms or freezer rooms. Geneva, 2002 (WHO/V&B/02.31)

The handbook is intended for persons responsible for managing vaccine stores and their principal assistants. It gives general guidance and advice only. Wherever possible, cold room or freezer room installers should be made responsible for training staff in the use of the equipment installed. The handbook may also be used as a training tool in conjunction with its companion volume: How to look after a cold room or freezer room: self-assessment tool. (WHO/V&B/02.30).

V

V&B Update, Volume 34, December 2000

Proper handling and reconstitution of vaccines avoids programme errors.
English and French

Vaccine Donations : Policy statement of the partners of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (WHO/V&B/00.25)

This document is an abbreviated version of WHO/VSQ/97.05
Also available in  French,  Russian  and  Spanish

Vaccine Management Assessment (WHO/IVB/05.02)  April 2005, 103 pages

Vaccine Management Assessment Tool (Excel version)

Vaccine Position Papers

Vaccine stock management: Guidelines on stock records for immunization programme and vaccine store managers (WHO/IVB/06.12)

Stock Cards
Stock Reports

Vaccine volume calculator. An aid for the introduction of new vaccines (WHO/V&B/01.24)

Info memo
Calculator (Updated December 2004)

Vaccine Vial Monitor (VVM)

W

WHO-UNICEF Effective Vaccine Store Management Initiative (WHO/IVB/04.16-20) January 2005, 161 pages

Assessment questionnaire for Module 3 (Excel version)

WHO-UNICEF joint statement on strategies to reduce measles mortality worldwide (WHO/V&B/01.40)

Aussi disponible en français

WHO-UNICEF policy statement on the implementation of vaccine vial monitors: The role od vaccine vial monitors in improving access to immunization (WHO/IVB/07.04) [pdf 824kb]

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