WHAT?​

The COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Project (C-VEP) was a global initiative co-led by Sabin Vaccine Institute, Dalberg Design, and JSI to support low- and middle-income countries in planning and delivering equitable COVID-19 vaccination programs. The project brought together frontline immunization professionals from over 50 countries to co-define vaccine equity and design tools and strategies rooted in their lived experience. Through this work, C-VEP helped shift vaccine delivery from top-down directives to more localized, inclusive approaches that emphasized community trust, frontline leadership, and integration into routine immunization systems.

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WHY?​

While global efforts like COVAX focused on securing and distributing COVID-19 vaccines, many low- and middle-income countries faced deep challenges in ensuring those vaccines reached the most vulnerable. National-level plans often overlooked the realities of frontline workers and community members, resulting in fragmented delivery, low uptake, and mistrust.​ At the same time, immunization professionals on the ground, especially at sub-national levels, were navigating critical gaps in training, data systems, and community engagement without adequate support. These inequities in process led to inequities in outcome.

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The COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Project emerged from an urgent need to center country voices—especially those of frontline actors—and to co-create practical, context-specific solutions for equitable rollout.

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“CVEP developed a set of specific technical offering that most countries need support with in the roll out. I see this as a success in co-creation with country stakeholders and tea collaboration.” 

— Inmunization professional​

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OUTCOME

The COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Project shaped a package of technical assistance offerings across five core equity pillars—including data-driven planning, health worker training, and community engagement—tailored to the needs of low- and middle-income countries.

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In Kenya and Ecuador, we piloted these approaches with Ministries of Health and local partners. This included supporting communication task forces, testing SMS and call campaigns with Penda Health, and co-designing tools for vaccine tracking and demand generation. These early efforts laid the groundwork for more context-aware, community-led vaccine delivery strategies across the COVAX ecosystem.

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To share lessons and elevate voices from the field, the team hosted a live session at the Teach to Reach conference, highlighting insights from subnational immunization professionals and promoting more participatory, context-driven approaches to vaccine delivery.​