MONGOLIA

Mongolia joined PIVI in 2016. Mongolia’s first vaccination campaign prioritized healthcare workers and staff in emergency agencies. The campaign was highly successful, as 100% of the 45,000 doses were administered successfully. Since that time, PIVI has donated more than 450,000 doses of seasonal influenza vaccine – Mongolia has been able to broaden its risk groups, and the country has increased its purchase of influenza vaccine each year showing the government’s commitment to building a stable program.

With PIVI support, Mongolia developed an animated television short advocating for vaccination that has been broadcast on five TV channels and embedded on three websites.

Mongolia hosted an advocacy meeting with key decision-makers from the ministry of health, the national immunization technical advisory group, the National Influenza Center of Mongolia, and the National Department of Communicable Diseases to discuss the impact of flu vaccination. Mongolia completed a national survey of adverse events following flu immunization (AEFI). They conducted an active follow up of 6,943 people, 15% of the total number of people who were recipients of Protein Science’s Flublok vaccine, the first recombinant protein influenza vaccine approved by the U.S. FDA for persons 18 and older. The country also completed a nationwide survey of factors affecting vaccine uptake pregnant women and the general public who accept and decline flu vaccination. Mongolia has also conducted a formal, enhanced surveillance of adverse events following immunization among pregnant women recipients of Flublok vaccine and is currently analyzing the data.

The existing influenza vaccine system was shown to support COVID-19 planning and deployment. In addition, PIVI tailored its tools to support health worker training and education, the creation of vaccine communication materials for the general public, as well as support with Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) monitoring.

Having a National Vaccine Deployment Plan (NDVP) is crucial when it comes to vaccination during pandemic. When the vaccine arrives, a plan must be in place. For that we need sustainable and well-planned logistics, communication, storage, and resource management.

Mongolia developed its first NDVP in 2009, updating it recently. With PIVI’s help we have strengthened our national immunization program, where it is used at the national level for vaccination. These vital pieces of the annual seasonal influenza vaccination campaign coordination have helped us to deliver COVID-19 vaccine at the national level.   –Tsgot Mend, Epidemiologist, National Center for Communicable Diseases