Vaccine
Volume 28, Issue 43  pp. 6943-7136 (8 October 2010)

Supporting new vaccine introduction decisions: Lessons learned from the Hib Initiative experience

Original Research Article
Pages 7123-7129
R.A. Hajjeh, L. Privor-Dumm, K. Edmond, R. O’Loughlin, S. Shetty, U.K. Griffiths, A.P. Bear, A.L. Cohen, A. Chandran, A. Schuchat, E.K. Mulholland, M. Santosham

Abstract
The introduction of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine in developing countries has suffered from a long delay. Between 2005 and 2009, a surge in Hib vaccine adoption took place, particularly among GAVI-eligible countries. Several factors contributed to the increase in Hib vaccine adoption, including support provided by the Hib Initiative, a project funded by the GAVI Alliance in 2005 to accelerate evidence-informed decisions for use of Hib vaccine. This paper reviews the strategy adopted by the Hib Initiative and the lessons learned in the process, which provide a useful model to accelerate uptake of other new vaccines.