Insights to COVID-19 vaccine delivery: Results from a survey of 27 countries

Abstract

Most countries rolled out COVID-19 vaccination during 2021-2022. However, COVID-19 vaccine delivery cost estimates are still needed to support planning and budgeting to integrate COVID-19 vaccines into routine programs and to target high risk populations, specifically within resource-scarce contexts. Management Sciences for Health and the COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership Working Group collected country-level data through two surveys exploring global experiences with vaccine roll-out. 40 respondents from 27 countries responded to the surveys in November 2021 and May 2022. Respondents described their country's human resources needs, vaccine delivery modalities, demand generation strategies, booster uptake, cold chain capacity, supplies, and sub-population targets. The surveys highlighted unexpected trends in hiring, reliance on newer and costlier delivery and demand generation methods and significant gaps regarding HR, supplies, boosters, cold chain and reaching sub-populations. These types of opportunity assessments are useful ways of rapidly filling gaps in information needed to adequately cost alternative delivery strategies.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine; Human resources; Low and middle-income countries; Vaccine delivery cost.