COVID-19 Vaccination and Municipal Waste Management. Technical Brief

September 29, 2021

This report shows that while vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions—preventing 4–5 million deaths annually—the scale required for COVID-19 immunization far exceeds previous efforts. Unlike traditional campaigns targeting millions of children, COVID-19 vaccination must reach the global adult population—around 6.5 billion people—despite only about 60% of countries having adult immunization systems in place. 
The report highlights that sustaining high vaccination coverage, including potential booster doses, will require unprecedented large-scale efforts across urban and rural areas, addressing challenges in vaccine supply, cold chain logistics, financing, waste management, and public outreach to ensure effective and equitable delivery.