Responding to COVID-19 – A Statement by the Sabin Vaccine Institute

As those of us who work in immunization know, our actions as individuals may protect us from getting a disease, but it takes vigilance by the entire community to stop the disease from spreading. We have all had to face the reality of this responsibility lately. The sum of our individual actions will make “flattening the curve” work as we join forces to reduce the consequences of infection and the demand it puts on our health care system.

To protect our team, our families and our communities, we have closed our office in Washington, D.C., and canceled or postponed staff travel. Our team continues to work remotely toward our vision of a future free from vaccine-preventable diseases.

As we separate ourselves locally, we must come together globally – sharing our knowledge and resources, data and solutions.

We are inspired by manufacturers who are pivoting to produce desperately needed medical supplies, medical professionals and first responders who put their lives at risk to save and care for others and keep our communities safe, and people everywhere who are giving generously of their time and talents, checking in on neighbors, bringing food to those in need, or sewing masks for health workers facing shortages.

We know many in Sabin’s community are health professionals. For those of you on the front lines of this crisis as a health worker, public health professional or an essential worker keeping our communities running, thank you.

For those managing immunization programs, we know you face your own set of challenges in maintaining or resuming immunization services. Guiding principles for the pandemic set forward by the World Health Organization Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization emphasize prioritizing continuity of routine immunization services. As a part of our commitment to support you in your work, we invite you to join the Boost community, where you can discuss strategies for responding to this crisis with peers in more than 80 countries.

This is an unsettling time, but we are hopeful that through ingenuity and partnership, solutions will arise. We are supportive of efforts to develop vaccines and treatments, for we know the value of having these interventions ready to save lives in an outbreak setting or to prevent the next pandemic.

In the meantime, the Sabin team is connecting with our community around the world to identify ways we can help in the global response.

For information, recommendations and real-time updates, refer to the following resources from the World Health Organization:
Advice for the Public
Q&A on Coronaviruses
Situation Dashboard
Global Research on Coronaviruses
Technical Guidance