This tool calculates the costs of introducing COVID-19 immunization strategies taking into account more than ten indicators.
COVID-19 vaccination processes have started in different regions around the world. Countries must consider different factors when creating a comprehensive strategy for immunization processes, especially on costs. The World Health Organization (WHO) has created a COVID-19 vaccine introduction and deployment costing tool.
The tool is available for use by competent authorities in any country to manage their national strategy: "The tool is designed to support a rapid but comprehensive estimate of incremental costs. For that purpose, the tool is pre-populated as much as possible using data available from global databases," the WHO announcement states.
Through the tool it is possible to record country-specific data, such as the target population of the strategy, delivery parameters, among others. For example, vaccination strategies around the world have identified healthcare workers as the target population for vaccination, at least for the first doses. Subsequently, essential workers such as laboratory personnel, teaching staff, among others.
It also allows to calculate vaccination costs per day, considering salaries, training, mobile equipment for vaccination personnel or meals per day.
"The tool is configured by default to support rapid cost estimation in a modular manner. The output of the tool includes estimates, which can be inserted directly into the COVID-19 vaccine introduction preparedness assessment tool," WHO explains.
These are all areas considered by the WHO tool for starting the vaccination strategy, as well as more than 50 qualitative and quantitative variables:
- Planning and coordination,
- Budgeting,
- Regulatory,
- Prioritization, Targeting, and COVID-19 Surveillance,
- Service Delivery,
- Training and Supervision,
- Monitoring and Evaluation,
- Vaccine, Cold Chain, Logistics, and Infrastructure
- Safety Surveillance, and
- Demand Generation and Communication.
