Improving Polio Immunization for Children and Vulnerable Populations

Results achieved as of December 2015 include: With funding from the Government of Canada UNICEF procured and delivered 4 900 000 doses of polio vaccine to Ukraine: 1 800 000 doses of standalone Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) and associated immunization supplies and 3 100 000 doses of trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV). While the project had initially set out to improve routine immunization coverage it ultimately was ideally positioned to respond to a polio outbreak in Ukraine that occurred in the summer of 2015. With these Canadian-funded doses immediately available for use it was possible for the Government of Ukraine to quickly launch an emergency polio immunization campaign for children between the ages of 0-6 years. 2 227 309 children were vaccinated with the Canadian-funded vaccines in the first and second rounds of this campaign and thereafter far exceeding the project target of 1 500 000 children. Additionally UNICEF was able to realize savings with the procurement of the vaccines and with the surplus of Canadian funding was able to purchase specific cold chain equipment which had been requested by the Government of Ukraine to support the roll out of the renewed nation-wide immunization program. The requested and procured equipment included walk-in cold stores over 600 freezers and refrigerators as well as generators and other equipment necessary to ensure integrity of the cold-chain from manufacturer to patient.