Data for immunisation policy decision-making and the role of National Immunisation Technical Advisory Groups: Experience from Lao PDR

By Murdoch Children's Research Institute

The data needed to make immunisation policy regarding new vaccine introduction or schedule changes uses a combination of vaccine safety and efficacy data, local burden of disease data and, in some settings, cost-effectiveness analyses. Some countries have limited local data to support evidence-based decision making. National Immunisation Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) independently assess scientific evidence to advise immunisation policy decision-makers. For over two decades, MCRI has partnered with academics, clinicians, and policymakers from across the Asia-Pacific region to support the generation of data to inform immunisation policy. In this forum, we will discuss:

• The role of NITAGs in immunisation policy decision-making.
• The need to generate local data for policy decision-making.
• How our new project brings together the experience of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) with supporting the capacity of the Lao PDR NITAG in evidence-based decision-making, and their local University of Health Sciences to generate data.