New Journal Article Highlights Partnerships for Rotavirus Vaccine Introduction in India

A new article in the journal Vaccine reviews the successful and time-bound introduction of the rotavirus vaccine in India, highlighting the role of partnerships, including JSI, in the rollout of the vaccine across India.

India was the first country in Southeast Asia to introduce the rotavirus vaccine (RVV) in 2016. It was also the first time that a novel, low-cost, locally produced vaccine was introduced in the country with domestic funds. By 2019, India had nationally scaled the RVV across 29 states and 8 union territories, reaching 26.7 million people.

JSI was entrusted by the Government of India as the lead agency to support the Pan India introduction of the RVV. However, considering the complexity of the introduction of the new vaccine and need for capacity development of large number of health workers, the Universal Immunization Program (UIP) was instrumental to foster a partnership among the partners and stakeholders across multiple sectors to support the process. Other key partners included the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and UNDP.

The unified and synergistic relationship between the range of partners enabled the successful implementation of RVV introduction. Such partnerships can be successfully replicated for the introduction of other new vaccines, strengthening health systems, or improving other emerging public health priorities, such as pandemics.

Read the full article, Partnering for rotavirus vaccine introduction in India: A retrospective analysis.