Modernizing the Public Vaccine Distribution System through a Successful Multi-Sector Partnership

The Vaccine Management Business Improvement Project represents the collaborative efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 64 state and local immunization programs (grantees), vaccine manufacturers, a national third-party vaccine distributor, and a management consulting company to modernize the nation's public vaccine distribution system. At the outset, CDC conducted extensive face-to-face interviews with grantees, senior government officials, and vaccine manufacturers and distributors to develop a baseline understanding of current processes within the existing antiquated system. Subsequently, CDC designed a streamlined vaccine distribution model by soliciting input from grantees and supply chain experts via numerous focus groups and working sessions, ultimately to ensure the new model met the needs of all impacted stakeholders. Once the distribution model was finalized, CDC responded to grantees' concerns about the magnitude of changes by working with change management consultants to first devise 10 unique planning and training modules, and then delivered those modules to grantees via a series of monthly conference calls and ad hoc meetings. As grantees were within weeks of their transition date (to the new model), CDC customized transition plans for each grantee and conducted technical assistance site visits to address grantee-specific concerns and ensure all critical action items were completed. While (as of February 2008) 37 of the 64 grantees have already transitioned to the new distribution model, CDC continues to partner with grantees and the selected national vaccine distributor to identify lessons learned throughout the transition process and implement additional refinements in vaccine distribution and customer care.