Maternal immunization country readiness: a checklist approach.

Prior to the addition of a maternal vaccine onto the National Immunization Programme, it is important for a country to evaluate their capacity and readiness. This checklist has been developed that is deliberately not restricted to any particular vaccine so it can be applied by national-level stakeholders during the decision-making stage for the introduction of any additional or new maternal vaccine. It is suggested that a team consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Health, including the National Immunization Programme (NIP) and Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) programs complete and review the checklist together. This checklist enables countries to assess their capacity, strengths and weaknesses and identify a list of priorities to allow for smooth implementation of maternal vaccines.