A Change of Plans: Adapting Routine Immunization Strategies to COVID-19 Vaccination in Vietnam

MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity aims to strengthen routine immunization (RI) programs to overcome the entrenched obstacles contributing to stagnating and declining immunization rates while also providing technical support for COVID-19 vaccine introduction. In Vietnam, the project works with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other local partners to strengthen the country's COVID-19 vaccination strategies.

In the face of low COVID-19 vaccination rates among hard-to-reach communities in Vietnam, the project recognized that current strategies weren't working to vaccinate these populations and that more data were needed to identify those needing vaccination. The project, in collaboration with the MOH, supported innovative data collection efforts to pinpoint and estimate unvaccinated populations. This resulted in stakeholders coming together to adapt mobile vaccination strategies that were traditionally used for RI to tackle last mile COVID-19 vaccination in remote areas. This included the adaptation of the World Health Organization's (WHO) microplanning tools to the Vietnam context to estimate appropriate vaccine and supply allocations, improve coordination of human resources across sectors, and recruit community leaders to spread awareness. As of May 13, 2022, through collaboration with provincial-level Expanded Programs on Immunization (EPIs) and Centers for Disease Control (CDCs), 716 mobile sites in four provinces provided vaccines to 413,426 people, including more than 350,000 people who completed their vaccination schedule and 60,444 who received their first dose. The use of CLA has resulted in greater willingness to employ flexible, adaptive approaches by project staff and partners, especially in adapting existing strategies to local contexts.