The Indian Institute of Health Management and Research (IIHMR) University, Jaipur and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, US collaborated on capacity building of health professionals to undertake research studies on Economics of COVID-19 vaccine for optimum use of scarce resources.

The closing ceremony of the global online course on vaccine economics for COVID-19 that was conducted virtually on December 20, 2020 with an endeavour to provide an opportunity to the participants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Somalia.

The IIHMR University, Jaipur and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, US jointly designed two new online courses for vaccine policymakers and programme managers to use the tools of economics to optimise vaccine coverage during the challenges of COVID-19.

Prof PR Sodani, President (Officiating), IIHMR University, Jaipur, while addressing the participants said, “Various research proposals were discussed on cost analysis of COVID-19 vaccine, and factors affecting demand for COVID-19 vaccine. These research studies would be useful for government and other key stakeholders in the contexts of COVID-19.

This time, globally, the programme received 400 applications, out of which 230 participants were shortlisted. For the India programme, there were 64 applications to join, of which 53 participants were selected to attend the programme. The participants in the programme were from countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Somalia. These participants work in different capacities in the field of immunisation and vaccine delivery.