Strengthening global vaccine access for adolescents and adults

Global immunization efforts to date have heavily focused on infants and children, with noted success on public health. Healthy adolescents and adults contribute to the economic growth and development of countries but efforts to ensure vaccine coverage for these groups receive inadequate global attention and resources. Emerging epidemics for a number of infectious diseases including Ebola, Zika, dengue, malaria and the continuing epidemics of tuberculosis and several sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, HPV and Hepatitis B, have high incidence and prevalence in adolescents and adults. New vaccines under development for these diseases and under-used vaccines such as for human papilloma virus will have the greatest health and economic impact in these populations. Global consensus, political will, policies, global and country infrastructure, and financing mechanisms are needed to accelerate access for the billions of adolescents and adults living under the threat of devastating infectious disease outbreaks and epidemics, especially in lower income countries. The global health community and countries cannot afford to delay planning for implementation of adolescent and adult vaccine programs that will potentially save millions of lives and strengthen global and national economies. The article examines this next challenge and suggests a research agenda and a framework for action to galvanize global and national policy decision-makers to begin preparations for future immunization challenges.