Solicitation of visual cues for vaccine discard

On behalf of the chair of the Technologies and Logistics Advisory Committee (TLAC, http://www.who.int/immunization_deliver ... index.html) of WHO, Bruce Weniger, we are seeking ideas from the TechNet community for two new graphic “visual cues” for use on vaccine vials to guide health workers for when they must discard vaccines once opened, and which can safely be kept for subsequent sessions. WHO’s current Multi-Dose Vial Policy (MDVP, http://www.who.int/vaccines-documents/D ... ww9924.pdf), last revised in 2000, is being updated to accommodate a variety of new vaccine formulations that will reach the market before long. Some of these will render obsolete common rules of thumb based on whether the products are liquid or lyophilized and will undermine old presumptions on whether or not they contain antimicrobial preservatives. One likely feature of the ongoing MDVP revision is to recommend two visual cues (e.g., symbols, icons, logos, patterns, borders, markings, colours, etc.) to be printed on vial labels to remind health workers which of two distinct rules should be applied (yet to be precisely defined): a. Upon opening, the vaccine may be used until the end of that day's vaccination session or until 6 hours have passed, whichever is earlier; b. Upon opening, the vaccine may be used for up to 28 days, if returned promptly to its recommended cold chain conditions when the vial is not in use and if the VVM has not reached its endpoint. Factors that may affect the ultimate selection of visual cues to be recommended include: 1. Its simplicity for printing directly onto the vial label or for separate attachment onto the vial. 2. Its non-verbal nature, relying on image or shape, rather than any linguistic words or text in a particular language. 3. Its intuitiveness, comprehensibility, and universality in multiple cultures and regions in correctly prompting health workers to follow the corresponding policy a. or b. above. 4. Its legibility when reduced to a size that might be as small as 6 mm in diameter in redesigned layouts of labels already crowded with other needed text and features. 5. Its cost, e.g., if one or more specified colours are not already printed on the vial label. We invite the TechNet community and others to submit their most creative and innovative graphic ideas for either or both visual cues in order to expand the list of candidates already under consideration. Any submissions, if adopted in whole or in part, will become the property of WHO without financial compensation to its designer or submitter, except for name recognition by attribution disseminated through TechNet and other means. Images should be submitted in high-resolution .jpg or .tif files (minimum width and height = 800 pixels; maximum = 2400 pixels), or embedded as full-window objects in PowerPoint .ppt files. Please email these as attachments in email messages not to exceed 10Mb in size to [[email protected]][email protected][/email], to which any questions or inquiries about this solicitation should be directed. The accompanying email message should provide the full names, affiliations, address, and other contact information of the designer(s)/submitter(s), and any needed narrative and explanation. Time is of the essence; submissions received after 26 June 2009 may not have an opportunity to be considered.