National Immunization Program in Iran: whys and why nots.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Immunology
• Infectious Disease Control

Background:

• Iran's national immunization program has significantly contributed to controlling infectious diseases.
• The program faces challenges concerning vaccine coverage and types, impacting disease prevention efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current status of Iran's national immunization program.
• To identify challenges and provide evidence-based recommendations for vaccine inclusion and policy adjustments.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing evidence on vaccine efficacy and implementation.
• Analysis of current immunization policies and disease epidemiology in Iran and neighboring regions.

Main Results:

• The program currently lacks vaccines for rotavirus, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), varicella, pneumococcal, and influenza.
• Evidence supports the efficiency of rotavirus and Hib vaccination in Iran.
• Oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is used due to polio endemicity in neighboring countries; whole cell pertussis (wP) is used instead of acellular pertussis vaccine (aP).

Conclusions:

• Recommendations include considering rotavirus and Hib vaccines.
• Further data is needed to evaluate policies for pneumococcal, influenza, and acellular pertussis vaccines.
• The choice between OPV and inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) requires ongoing assessment based on global and regional polio status.