In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO set the target for 70% global vaccination coverage by mid-2022.  

Continued, concerted and country-led push to deliver against nationally defined vaccination strategies acted in support of global targets.

The greatest benefits within that approach came from prioritizing full vaccination and boosters for high-risk populations – older adults, healthcare workers, and persons with co-morbidities including immunocompromised persons.

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Solutions

Strong leadership engagement and commitment to detailed and costed vaccination plans are essential. Momentum to vaccinate high-priority groups, like healthcare workers, over 60s and people who are immunocompromised, must be maintained.

National healthcare system capacity needs to be strengthened. Increasingly COVID-19 vaccination services will need to be integrated with other immunization services and alongside other health and social interventions for maximum impact and to build long-term capacity.

As people’s risk perception of the virus wanes, careful risk communication and community engagement plans need to be adapted to enhance demand for vaccination, and domestic and international funding needs to be coordinated, available and swift to deliver against clear country plans.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership, a collective international effort with ‘One Country Team’, ‘One Plan’, and ‘One Budget’ was launched by WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi with international partners including the World Bank to intensify country readiness and intensify delivery support. It focuses on 34 low coverage countries, with the government at the center, to accelerate COVID-19 vaccination.