City-to-City COVID-19 Vaccination Learning Exchange (COVLEX) Initiative: A Global Platform for Cross-Learning

The pandemic has resulted in significant loss of life and livelihoods, with women and girls facing barriers in accessing health services and educational institutions remaining closed. Lockdowns have affected patients with serious illnesses and had a negative impact on the population's mental health. The pandemic has also led to sporadic outbreaks, prompting governments worldwide to enforce fundamental public health measures. Vaccination and immunization have been identified as critical strategies for mitigating the spread of COVID-19. The global scientific community has developed vaccines in record time, leveraging global solidarity and collaboration. Over 20 vaccine candidates are in various stages of development, with more than 20 vaccines approved for emergency use in India. The country has launched the world's largest COVID-19 vaccination program, with a goal of vaccinating its 1.38 billion population. The USAID/India and Population Services International (PSI) have partnered to establish a resilient health system that is responsive, affordable, and equitable. The Samagra project aims to provide quality preventive, promotive, and curative primary health care to the urban poor, especially women, children, and other vulnerable populations. The initiative is addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and supporting the uptake of COVID-19 vaccination among the urban poor in 5 cities across India, with plans to scale up to 50 cities within four years. The City-to-City COVID-19 Vaccination Learning Exchange (COVLEX) initiative has been launched to facilitate cross-learning among cities worldwide. The platform brings together donors, governments, development organizations, and the private sector from 11 countries/15 cities to share insights on COVID-19 vaccination. The initiative aims to fill the vaccine knowledge gap and provide valuable insights on COVID-19 vaccination as the race to vaccinate populations gathers momentum. India has been at the forefront of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, with the government launching the initiative of vaccine Atma Nirbharta in March 2020. The country has developed its own vaccines, including Covaxin, and has approved several vaccines for emergency use. The vaccination drive has been further emboldened, with the government opening it up to all people above the 18+ age group. The drive has culminated with up to 100 million vaccinations being administered within two weeks in September 2021 and up to 25 million COVID-19 vaccine doses being administered in a single day on September 17. The vaccination program continues to be reviewed, revised, and monitored every week under the country's leadership. Vaccinating a large population can be a challenge, and the government has handled this by adopting a decentralized approach. The program has also seen the use of innovative technologies, such as drone technology for vaccine delivery in remote areas of Arunachal Pradesh. The government has also launched communication and social mobilization initiatives to address vaccine hesitancy, sharing accurate information about the vaccine(s) and busting myths to encourage uptake of the vaccines. The COVLEX initiative will facilitate learning sessions on COVID-19 vaccination between the five city pods, including 15 cities as identified below. The cities will come together to share their insights on themes such as Vaccine Procurement, Digital Innovations, Vaccine Supply Chain, Communications and Social Mobilization, Adverse events following immunization (AEFI), Governance, Planning and Management, Capacity Building, Escalating the learnings of COVID-19 vaccination into Routine Immunization, and Monitoring and Supervision. The launch event of the COVLEX initiative was attended by over 150 participants, including public health experts, academicians, global leaders, and representatives from various countries and organizations. The event highlighted India's leadership in the COVID-19 vaccination drive, with the country having administered up to 100 million vaccinations within two weeks in September 2021 and up to 25 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in a single day on September 17. The event also emphasized the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing in the fight against COVID-19.