Who will be responsible for the management, maintenance, financing and – if necessary – replenishment, of the OPV stockpile?
A. The management of the polio vaccine stockpile will take advantage of existing governance mechanisms which will not only ensure a well-functioning and cost-effective administration, but provide countries a familiar platform of operation. WHO will act as the managing agency for the polio stockpile, while UNICEF will be responsible for procurement and storage processes. The ACPE would assume responsibility for decision-making concerning trigger mechanisms in the event of a polio outbreak in the Post-OPV era, including the drafting and approving of SOPs for a trigger of stockpile vaccine release. By the start of the Post-OPV phase, the control of the stockpile would have fully shifted within WHO, from the Polio Eradication Initiative (POL) team to the Alert and Response Operations (ARO) team.
