Article type
Abstract
Background. National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) provide recommendations to policy-makers to support national, evidence-based immunization policies. Systematic reviews (SRs) are a valuable source for recommendation-making by summarizing available evidence on a given topic. However, conducting SRs requires significant resources, which many NITAGs lack. Given that a considerable number of immunization-related SRs already exist, and to minimize research waste, the more practical approach for NITAGs is to use existing SRs.
Objectives. The Robert Koch Institute jointly with the World Health Organization (WHO) aims to increase NITAGs’ access to and use of existing SRs by providing the regularly updated SYSVAC registry of immunization-related SRs, along with training courses.
Methods. SRs on immunization are identified through systematic searches on Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and the L-OVE database. A quality assessment using AMSTAR-2 provides information on the SRs' methodological quality. Additionally, 2 online training courses have been developed to provide knowledge on how to use the registry and SRs. Both resources are freely accessible through the WHO NITAG Resource Center [1]. To assess impact and use of SYSVAC, a survey with NITAG representatives was conducted in 2023.
Results. The registry encompasses a facilitated search tool through free text, filter, and keywording by disease, immunization topic, population, and region. As of January 2024, 2,321 SRs are included in the registry, most of which address SARS-CoV-2 (1,009), influenza (302), human papillomavirus (226), and pneumococcal disease (142). The majority address vaccine efficacy/effectiveness (945) and safety (703). SRs on vaccination acceptance (456), coverage (439), administration (327), economic aspects (181), and other topics can also be found in the registry. In the survey, 57.6 % of the respondents, a total of 35 NITAGs from all 6 WHO regions, indicated using the SYSVAC registry.
Conclusions. The resources developed intend to support evidence-based and resource-saving establishment of national immunization programs globally. Future plans include ensuring the sustainability of resource maintenance leveraging artificial intelligence.
Conflicts of Interest. This work is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health through the Global Health Protection Program (SENSE project) jointly with WHO Headquarters and WHO Regional Office for Europe.
Literature.[1] https://nitag.waat.eu/sysvac-systematic-reviews (Last retrieval 30.01.2024)
Objectives. The Robert Koch Institute jointly with the World Health Organization (WHO) aims to increase NITAGs’ access to and use of existing SRs by providing the regularly updated SYSVAC registry of immunization-related SRs, along with training courses.
Methods. SRs on immunization are identified through systematic searches on Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and the L-OVE database. A quality assessment using AMSTAR-2 provides information on the SRs' methodological quality. Additionally, 2 online training courses have been developed to provide knowledge on how to use the registry and SRs. Both resources are freely accessible through the WHO NITAG Resource Center [1]. To assess impact and use of SYSVAC, a survey with NITAG representatives was conducted in 2023.
Results. The registry encompasses a facilitated search tool through free text, filter, and keywording by disease, immunization topic, population, and region. As of January 2024, 2,321 SRs are included in the registry, most of which address SARS-CoV-2 (1,009), influenza (302), human papillomavirus (226), and pneumococcal disease (142). The majority address vaccine efficacy/effectiveness (945) and safety (703). SRs on vaccination acceptance (456), coverage (439), administration (327), economic aspects (181), and other topics can also be found in the registry. In the survey, 57.6 % of the respondents, a total of 35 NITAGs from all 6 WHO regions, indicated using the SYSVAC registry.
Conclusions. The resources developed intend to support evidence-based and resource-saving establishment of national immunization programs globally. Future plans include ensuring the sustainability of resource maintenance leveraging artificial intelligence.
Conflicts of Interest. This work is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health through the Global Health Protection Program (SENSE project) jointly with WHO Headquarters and WHO Regional Office for Europe.
Literature.[1] https://nitag.waat.eu/sysvac-systematic-reviews (Last retrieval 30.01.2024)