The World Health Organization (WHO) has outlined key vaccine policy recommendations following the October 2026 meeting of its Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE). The experts reviewed evidence on vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV), diphtheria, yellow fever, mpox and polio, while also considering the potential role of vaccination in responding to the ongoing Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) outbreak.
Among the key recommendations, SAGE supported a single-dose HPV vaccine schedule for girls aged 9–14 to help expand coverage and improve access to protection. It also highlighted gaps in diphtheria immunity, recommending stronger routine and booster vaccination programmes. For yellow fever, fractional doses may continue to be used during outbreaks and in certain preventive campaigns when supply or financial constraints limit vaccination efforts, while the standard dose remains recommended for routine and catch-up vaccination in young children.
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SAGE also reviewed mpox vaccination strategies, identifying evidence gaps concerning preventive vaccination, children, pregnant women and people with severe immunocompromise. On polio, it called on countries currently administering fewer than three doses of inactivated poliovirus vaccine through routine immunisation to move to a three-dose infant schedule. Regarding the BVD outbreak, SAGE reaffirmed that the Ervebo Ebola vaccine should only be used within research protocols, with the ongoing TUMAINI clinical trial expected to provide evidence on vaccine candidates’ effectiveness against the disease.
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WHO emphasised that evidence-based recommendations must translate into effective and equitable national immunisation policies. Strong routine vaccination services, surveillance systems and national immunisation advisory groups remain essential to protecting communities, responding to outbreaks and sustaining progress. The organisation also highlighted that vaccination has helped save more than 154 million lives, underlining the importance of protecting existing immunisation programmes.
