Call for nominations for experts to serve on a Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization Working Group on COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccination
A call for nominations for experts to serve on a Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization Working Group on COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccination has been posted on the SAGE website: https://www.who.int/immunization/policy/sage/en/
This SAGE working group will be set up with the aim of establishing an independent process through SAGE to advise WHO and its Member States on the use of initially pre-licensed vaccines, followed by updates as additional information on product use becomes available. The timeliness of setting up this group will ensure a coordinated approach with the vaccine Research and Development (R&D) community, in order to accelerate timelines and maximize global efforts to make evidence-informed policy decisions for the best use of a vaccine against COVID-19. The ultimate goal of a vaccine against COVID-19 is to rapidly contain the pandemic, save lives, protect health care systems, and restore global economies.
The SAGE Working Group is established with a program of work to:
(1) Provide continuous review of the available evidence on the progress of candidate vaccines against COVID-19, and provide regular updates to SAGE;
(2) Provide guidance for the development of prediction models to determine the optimal age groups and target populations for vaccine introduction and guide vaccine introduction for optimal impact, and contribute to updates of target product profiles of vaccines for outbreak and for endemic use;
(3) Prepare policy advice to SAGE on the accelerated use of vaccines (pre-licensure and post-licensure) to mitigate the public health impact of COVID-19, to possibly curtail the ongoing pandemic, as well as to prevent or reduce the risk of spread of disease in the future. This will include recommendations for early allocation of vaccines when vaccine supply is still limited;
(4) Provide guidance to ensure equitable access to vaccination, and guidance on the safety of vaccines when safety data from wider population use become available, in close collaboration with Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS).
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Under the theme ‘Innovating together for resilient global health', the 13th edition of the EDCTP Forum, taking place from 5-9 April 2027 in Madrid, Spain, will offer researchers, policymakers, funders and implementers the opportunity to showcase their work at a flagship global health event.
The Forum offers a unique platform to share research findings, build partnerships and help shape discussions on global health priorities. Currently, submissions for abstracts, scientific symposia and workshops are open.