Maternal Immunization Readiness Initiative (MIRI)

Challenge

Evaluation of candidate SARS-CoV2 vaccines is accelerating rapidly. However, currently registered trials exclude pregnant and lactating women (PLW), despite the fact that they have also been impacted by the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and group B strep (GBS)vaccines are under development and are specifically being developed for administration during pregnancy. Vaccines for RSV and GBS are expected to be available in the next 2-3 years and 8-10 years, respectively. Development of appropriate implementation strategies and tools is critical to ensuring demand for MI with new vaccines targeting pregnant women. The Maternal Immunization Readiness Initiative (MIRI) is a partnership between the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) and Jhpiego, conducting implementation and communication research to inform the future delivery of new vaccines during pregnancy in Kenya and Bangladesh.

Approach

The MIRI Project is taking a dual approach: Stream1) Immunization Readiness (Jhpiego): Build capacity for maternal and newborn health outcome data collection by testing tools and conducting country readiness and field assessments. Stream 2) Demand Generation & Communication(IVAC):Inform a projected pathway for inclusion of pregnant and lactating women in maternal vaccination by conducting qualitative research on relevant knowledge, attitudes and behaviors and designing communication strategies. Stream 2a) As a supplement to MIRI,IVAC is working in partnership with the World Health Organization to conduct mixed-methods research on vaccine decision-making for the COVID-19vaccine among pregnant and lactating people in Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan, and the Philippines.