EYE Newsletter August 2020

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Date: 31 August 2020
 
Uganda set to protect 1.6 million people from yellow fever
A yellow fever (YF) reactive vaccination campaign, aiming at protecting over 1.6 million people in the Buliisa, Koboko, Maracha, Moyo, Obongi and Yumbe districts was launched on 19 August. The campaign was triggered by  an outbreak of YF with eight laboratory-confirmed cases in Buliisa (3), Maracha (1) and Moyo (4)  including four deaths (CFR 50%), detected through the national surveillance system between 4 November 2019 and 14 February 2020. Despite approval by the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on YF vaccine provision in February, and associated support from Gavi for vaccines and operational costs, the implementation was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges.

The campaign was successfully launched by the Ugandan Ministry of Health, with support from Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics (EYE) partners including Gavi, UNICEF and WHO. The acquisition of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) supplies such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), needed for safe implementation, was covered by the ICG's Revolving Fund. Read more here.
 
Sudan set to protect over 572,000 people from yellow fever
Sudan launched a targeted YF vaccination campaign in the White Nile state on 23 August to protect over 572,000 children and refugees in 5 days, with Gavi support. The campaign combines catch-up activities for over 470,000 children in host communities (aged 9 months - 6 years), with the vaccination of over 102,000 refugees (aged 9 months - 60 years). This campaign uses a unique approach to protect the remaining at-risk populations in the state including children born following completion of the 2014 preventive mass vaccination campaign (PMVC), and refugees who arrived recently.
 
Approval of Nigeria's 2021-2022 PMVC application by Gavi
The Gavi Independent Review Committee (IRC) recommended Nigeria's application for additional PMVC phases on an accelerated schedule in 2021 and 2022 for approval. This marks a great step towards achieving nation-wide protection against YF, a core objective of the country’s comprehensive 10-year plan to sustainably eliminate the risk of YF epidemics.

The country’s success also demonstrates the added-value of effective collaborative contributions from EYE partners at country, regional and global levels such as the Gates Foundation, Gavi, NCDC, NPHCDA, US CDC, UNICEF and WHO.
 
2019 Global YF update published in the WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record
The 2019 YF in Africa and the Americas update was published on 21 August in the WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER), with great appreciation for the contributions of AFRO, EMRO and PAHO. In 2019, there was documented spread of the YF virus on a broad geographical scope. The virus was often detected in mobile and hard-to reach populations with low levels of immunity. We saw that while YF transmission dynamics remain difficult to predict, areas with a history of transmission remain at risk.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, EYE supports YF surveillance and safe vaccination. EYE partners are identifying tailored solutions to ensure vaccination of people missed due to the pandemic. In view of the systemic need for efficiency, EYE is exploring possible synergies to maximize the use of resources and the effect on public health with other programmes.
 
To fully meet EYE strategic objectives by 2026, more work is required to sustain gains in immunity, advocate for better outbreak preparedness and address the risk of international spread. This will require stronger surveillance, innovation in urban resilience and readiness and tailored approaches to improve vaccination coverage. The full text is available here.
 
Guidance to support immunization in the COVID-19 context
To enable continuation of essential services such as YF immunization and control activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO and partners are developing and publishing country and technical guidance documents. Most of the published documents are available through the WHO publications hub.

The resources below were published in August and are available here, with translation to French in progress :

Leave No One Behind: Guidance for planning and implementing catch-up vaccination, is a foundational document that covers catch-up vaccination as an essential component of a strong immunization programme, outlining the basic system enablers required to allow and promote catch-up through routine immunization.

Closing immunization gaps caused by COVID-19, aims to address the more immediate needs of prioritizing strategies for restarting immunization services and planning mass catch-up activities. It highlights key considerations in the COVID-19 context for various catch-up strategies and makes reference, where applicable, to more comprehensive resources available.
 
Upcoming Events
  • Gavi application round 3 submission due date, 8 September
  • Virtual ICG Partners meeting, 23-24 September (2-5pm GVA time)
  • Virtual EYE Annual Meetings
    • 9,10 November, Laboratory Technical Working Group (LTWG)
    • 12 November, Supply and Demand Working Group (SDWG)
    • 19 November, EYE Partners meeting
    • 24 November, Vaccine Delivery Working Group (VDWG)
    • 1 December, Risk Analysis Prioritization Working Group (RAWG)
We are all partners. We all have a role to play.
 
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