GlobalHealth Threats

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has released an overview on the key components following the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines in the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK), which include:

• "a robust COVID-19 disease surveillance system;
• post-marketing studies on effectiveness and impact;
• active and passive monitoring of adverse events following immunisation;
• robust and timely vaccination coverage data;
• evidence-based decision-making;
• legal and regulatory frameworks for vaccines deployment;
• vaccine delivery infrastructure and supply chain management;
• monitoring of vaccine acceptability and behavioural research;
• communication plans;
• ethical and equitable access to vaccination."

When COVID-19 vaccines become available, it is likely that their supply will be limited. This then determines vaccine usage and prioritisation, and so deployment must be adjusted so that vaccines remain available to those who need it most. Several approaches for vaccine deployment include:

• "focusing on selected groups (e.g. individuals at risk of severe COVID-19, essential workers, vulnerable groups);
• vaccinating according to age strata (e.g. all individuals above a certain age);
• targeting groups with an increased risk of exposure and onward transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (e.g. exposure in professional settings, younger adults);
• prioritising geographical regions with high incidence of COVID-19;
• deploying the vaccine to control active outbreaks;
• performing adaptative approaches to be modulated according to circumstances;
• conducting a universal vaccination strategy."