Laos Vaccine Support

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COVID-19 Vaccines delivered

1,504,780 doses

Vaccine doses delivered so far from Australia's supply

Vaccine doses procured through Australia’s UNICEF Partnership

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Providing Technical Expertise

 

Strengthening systems to ensure vaccine safety, including related to pharmacovigilance and adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) surveillance.

Supporting the development and monitoring of national COVID-19 vaccination planning, including operational policies and guidelines.

delivering vaccication

Supporting National Vaccine Rollout

 

Health system and immunisation program strengthening to support the efficient, effective and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

Assessing and addressing vaccine access barriers, including supporting mobile vaccination clinics for isolated communities, and improving accessibility of established vaccine clinics.

Strengthening risk communication and social mobilisation activities to increase demand for and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines.

Providing policy advice to strengthen Laos’ Adolescent and Child Vaccine Strategy Plan.

Training and supervision of healthcare workers, including to support equitable access. Improving monitoring and evaluation of the vaccine rollout, including data management.

First COVID-19 vaccines arrive in Laos

Our Impact So Far (through Vaccine Access and Health Security Initiative and bilateral funding)

  • Australia’s partners have provided policy advice to the Government of Laos to strengthen key policy and strategy documents including Pharmacovigilance Guidelines, AEFI Guidelines and the Adolescent and Child Vaccine Strategy and Plan.
  • Australia’s partners have also provided technical advice to the Lao Ministry of Health (MoH) and related agencies to strengthen and implement systems to roll-out the COVID-19 vaccination program – including to support equitable access to vaccines. This included developing job aides; strengthening data collection including forms; and providing technical advice for management of AEFI cases, and risk communication and communication engagement strategies and materials.
  • An estimated 3 million people to date have been reached through risk communication, social media and community engagement activities.
  • Through the World Health Organization (WHO), Australia has provided technical support to Lao’s National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) on gender, disability and social inclusion considerations, including related to target populations such as pregnant and breastfeeding women. WHO has supported the collection and generation of COVID-19 vaccination data disaggregated by gender for use by MoH in decision making.
  • With Australian support to WHO, UNICEF and TGA, a total of 1,339 participants have completed training that will support the vaccine rollout in Laos and improved and equitable access to vaccinations.

Read more:

TGA puts COVID-19 vaccines through their paces

Australia to promote COVID-19 vaccine equity for developing countries