When determining whether to introduce a new vaccine to your programme, you must take many issues into consideration. At the end of this section, you will be able to:- explain the WHO recommendation for immunization programmes,
- explain the impact of immunization on HBV and associated disease,
- analyze the impact of introducing the vaccine on the existing immunization programme,
- advocate for hepatitis B immunization,
- explain the financial implications of introducing the vaccine; and
- plan for adequate cold chain capacity.
Individual countries will have specific issues to consider. Your country, for example, may be considering several new vaccines for introduction or may be choosing between introducing a new vaccine or strengthening other aspects of your programme. Keep in mind that the addition of a new vaccine to an existing programme may strengthen EPI by providing improved services or increasing demand. Several African countries, for example, have reported that introduction of hepatitis B vaccine led to an increase in EPI coverage rates.13
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