Diseases and vaccines

Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the implementation of new and under-utilized vaccines providing additional prevention of untimely deaths and disabilities. WHO, in collaboration with countries and partner agencies, is actively involved in devising and refining strategic approaches to maximize the public health return from new and under-utilized vaccines, providing mechanisms to assist national decision-makers with making the best informed decisions and documenting ongoing country experiences.

Many of the existing under-utilized vaccines represent diseases of regional importance, or for which the use of vaccine in population-based programmes has not yet been broadly experienced. The revised Global New Vaccines Plan of Action focuses on two vaccines that are now rapidly progressing towards global utilization (Hepatitis B and Hib); three vaccines at early stages of implementation (HPV, pneumococcal and rotavirus); and two with regional and country importance (Epidemic Meningitis and Japanese Encephalitis). Further diseases for which vaccines have important implications will be added as the vaccines reach the implementation stage.

A series of position papers, tools and guidelines are continuously being developed and maintained to provide national decision-makers with the latest information, and are available on this website. In addition, updated slides on various related topics are available for public use.

Last updated: November 2009