Aligning products with country needs

Planning for the unique challenges of implementing vaccines in developing countries

Until recently, the primary marketplace for new vaccines has been the developed world, with uptake in developing countries occurring many years later.  Efforts by the GAVI Alliance and others now promote the use of new vaccines in developing countries relatively soon after they have been adopted by the developed world.

In resource-poor settings, it is important to align the basic physical characteristics of vaccines with a country’s vaccine management needs—available cold-chain capacity, health worker knowledge and skills, and the economic constraints of the target market.

MVI has developed a series of target product profiles (TPPs) to help guide partners in the development of malaria vaccines with the needs of developing countries in mind. In addition to efficacy thresholds, these TPPs also provide guidance to developers on administration, formulation, presentation, and packaging of new vaccines. MVI will use the TPP as a key tool to systematically choose the most appropriate combinations of formulation, presentation, and packaging for vaccine candidates at the appropriate time.

A TPP—one that is appropriate for resource-poor country settings—will help to avoid some of the pitfalls encountered in attempts to integrate a new vaccine into a developing country.