Featured Stories
Nigeria’s Sokoto North local government area (LGA) launched a door-to-door polio immunization campaign on November 5, targeting thousands of children under age 5. The four-day effort piloted nOPV2 with a fractional IPV dose administered via PharmaJet’s Tropis needle-free intradermal injection system. If the approach is successful (defined as greater than 90% coverage for the pilot phase and a decrease in zero-dose children), the pilot may be replicated in other Nigerian LGAs (and beyond). PharmaJet
Ugandan officials suspended a nationwide polio vaccination effort due to an Ebola virus outbreak. The door-to-door campaign, slated for November 4-10, was set to target 8.7 million children under age 5 with the novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV2). The campaign would have comprised the second phase of the response to vaccine-derived poliovirus detected in the country in 2021; 72,000 immunization teams were scheduled to administer doses. The Ebola outbreak is ongoing (with 53 deaths reported from September 20-November 7), and the Ugandan government has not yet announced when it will resume the campaign. WHO AFRO; Anadolu Agency; WHO
Brazil’s Roraima state carried out a joint multivaccination drive with neighboring Guyana November 2-12, targeting people of all ages in the towns of Bonfim (Brazil) and Lethem (Guyana). All vaccines in the routine immunization schedule were offered during the campaign period, including HPV vaccine, which is now being extended to adults. Stabroek News
Integrated Campaigns
The Philippines began a catch-up immunization drive in Metro Manila on November 7, aiming to reach infants age 1 and under who have not received inoculations against vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio, measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, hepatitis B and HPV. During the 10-day effort (dubbed “Vax-Baby-Vax”), 137,701 infants received catch-up vaccinations, with the highest coverage rates in Manila, Quezon City and Parañaque City. Manila Bulletin
Somalia began an integrated measles, polio, vitamin A and deworming campaign on November 12, targeting children under age 5. Vaccination strategies used during the five-day effort include fixed posts at permanent health facilities, outreach sites at schools, mosques, bus stops, market areas, and other transit points, and mobile outreach to nomadic settlements. WHO
Argentina extended a national vaccination campaign against measles, mumps, rubella and polio until December 11 due to low uptake. The campaign—which started on October 1 and was expected to end November 13—targets children ages 13 months to 4 years, aiming to boost national coverage rates, which declined due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, the pandemic caused a 10-percentage-point decline (on average) in the national coverage rate for all vaccines from 2019-2020. The Argentine Society of Pediatrics (SAP), the Ministry of Health and UNICEF urged Argentinians to join the vaccination campaign. Additionally, the government will require all students to show proof of vaccination in the 2023 school year. UNICEF; Government of Argentina; Argentina MoH
Lesotho ran a national integrated measles and rubella (MR) and Covid-19 vaccination drive October 25-November 5 in all 10 districts of the country. The campaign targeted children under age 5 with the MR shot and aimed to meet the country’s 70% population target needed to reach herd immunity for Covid-19, per the ministry of health press release. Lesotho MoH
Outbreak Response
Pakistan began its third sub-national immunization days (SNIDs) campaign for the year on November 28, aiming to vaccinate 13.5 million children under age 5 against polio in 36 districts. Over 100,000 frontline workers will go house to house, visiting nine districts in Punjab, eight districts in Sindh, six districts in Balochistan, plus Islamabad. The campaign will launch on December 5 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, targeting nine high-risk districts in the region. PPEP
Afghanistan kicked off a nationwide measles vaccination drive on November 26, targeting 7 million children ages 9 months-5 years. During the 10-day effort, mobile vaccination teams will administer the inoculations at mosques, schools and health centers. ATN News
Malawi began a cholera outbreak response campaign in November, offering a single dose of oral cholera vaccine to 2.9 million adults and children ages 1 and older living in high-risk districts: Blantyre, Chitipa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Mzimba North, Mzimba South, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Rumphi, Salima and Zomba. An earlier cholera vaccination drive in May reached more than 1.5 million people. UNICEF Malawi; Reuters
Cameroon ran a polio vaccination campaign November 4-6, targeting over 1 million children under age 5 across 42 health districts affected by the outbreak in the East, Far North, Littoral and West regions. Health workers administered the novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV2) door to door and in health facilities, schools and other public places. The campaign also allowed children under age 2 who missed a dose of the polio vaccine to catch up. This is the third round of polio vaccinations this year as the country aims to combat poliovirus type 2, which was detected in 2021. Xinhua; CRTV
Nigeria’s Cross River state conducted an integrated measles and rotavirus vaccination campaign November 3-10, aiming to reach 761,951 children ages 9 months to 5 years. Health workers administered the shots in a house-to-house effort and in public places such as worship centers, schools, crèches and health facilities. Blueprint; VON
Lebanon launched a cholera vaccination drive on November 12 in response to its first outbreak in over 30 years. The campaign will target all refugees and people in host communities above age 1, aiming to reach 70% of the target population by administering 200,000 doses per week over three weeks. Lebanon plans to submit a second application to WHO’s International Coordination Group for the additional 2 million OCV doses needed for phase 2 of the campaign. WHO Lebanon
Indonesia began a polio vaccination effort on November 28, targeting children up to age 13 in the Aceh province, in response to a potential case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDP2) in the Pidie regency. CIDRAP
Local Campaigns
Mexico kicked off a catch-up campaign that aimed to vaccinate 2.5 million adolescents against HPV. The national campaign, scheduled for November 21-December 31, focused on teenagers ages 13-14 who have fallen behind in their routine immunizations due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The HPV campaign also aimed to immunize cis and trans women living with HIV. El Economista
Ghana conducted a school-based deworming drive November 21-December 9, aiming to reach 1.9 million children ages 5-14 in 89 districts. Teachers and health workers administered praziquantel and albendazole to each child to prevent schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis. Ghanaian Times
Pakistan carried out a measles-rubella vaccination campaign in November as a flood-response intervention to prevent outbreaks in vulnerable displaced populations. The vaccination effort targeted 1.8 million children ages 6-59 months in 38 districts, focusing on displaced people living in temporary shelters, often beside main roads, motorways and canal banks. WHO EMRO
Uganda’s Karamoja region started its seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) effort on October 26, targeting 270,000 children under age 5 in eight districts (Abim, Amudat, Karenga, Kotido, Moroto, Nabilatuk, Nakapiripit and Napak). SMC will be delivered through a door-to-door approach by community health workers during the high malaria transmission period. Uganda MoH; Malaria Consortium
Nigeria’s Ogun state launched its biennial school-based deworming campaign on November 15, covering 4,223 public and private schools across 13 local government areas: Abeokuta North, Ewekoro, Ijebu East, Ijebu North, Ijebu North East, Ijebu Ode, Ikenne, Imeko-Afon, Ipokia, Odeda, Ogun Waterside, Remo North and Yewa North. Approximately 2,500 teachers, 1,067 community distributors and 400 health workers supported the effort to reach 1 million children—as well as 400,000 adults in the state’s endemic communities—with deworming tablets. Vanguard
Uganda launched a yellow fever vaccination drive in mid-October to reach children ages 9-12 months and introduce the inoculation into the country’s routine immunization schedule. Additional preventative campaigns for adults took place this November and will repeat in the month of November for the next two years in an effort to vaccinate all citizens by 2024. The Independent