Immunization Services During COVID-19 Webinar

On Thursday, July 16, 2020, the Learning Network for Countries in Transitions (LNCT) hosted a webinar discussion on the incremental costs of routine immunization, campaigns, and outreach services during COVID-19, which included CHDS postdoctoral fellow Allison Portnoy and faculty member Stephen Resch. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted immunization services critical to the prevention of vaccine-preventable diseases in many low- and middle- income countries around the world. In these settings, the health benefits associated with routine childhood immunization greatly outweigh the COVID-19 related health risks, making it important to continue routine immunization, campaigns, and outreach. However, these services will need to be modified in order to minimize COVID-19 transmission and ensure the safety of health workers and the community.

Portnoy and Resch joined panelists from ThinkWell to discuss their findings on additional costs associated with modifications to routine immunization, mass campaigns, and outreach services during COVID-19. These analyses illustrate a range of potential cost implications to provide general guidance for the direction of policies and potential cost expectations that would require the mobilization of additional resources.

Learn more: Watch the webinar.
Learn more: Read about the Immunization Delivery Cost Catalogue.