Full report published on April 2011 meeting of WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE)

The full report of the most recent meeting of WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) is now available on the WHO headquarters web site. SAGE met 5-7 April 2011 in Geneva, and at this meeting a cross-cutting concern emerged that weak primary health care services, particularly in Africa, are impeding the ability of countries to deliver on immunization strategies. Health systems strengthening, and the creation of a grassroots advocacy movement at global, national and community levels in support of access to vaccines, will be needed if we are to achieve the global immunization targets that have been set.

SAGE emphasized that countries vaccinating their populations against measles should also be vaccinating against rubella. Countries reaching measles coverage of 80%, either through routine immunization only or through routine immunization and supplementary immunization activities, can introduce rubella-containing vaccine without risk of increasing the incidence of congenital rubella syndrome. While cost-effectiveness for rubella vaccination is clear for high and middle-income countries, SAGE recommended that cost-effectiveness studies for low-income countries be undertaken.

Other topics discussed during the meeting included vaccination against pandemic and seasonal influenza, tick-borne encephalitis and meningococcal meningitis; polio eradication; and ongoing research efforts relating to IPV options for low-income countries in the post-eradication era.

Read the full report, including conclusions and recommendations, by following the link below. The SAGE web site now also includes a tool that allows users to search for specific topics that have been discussed at SAGE meetings. To use this tool, follow the link at the right.