SAGE workplan
SAGE work planning process
People taking notes in a meeting.
In order to be responsive to requests for SAGE advice and to maintain a high-quality review of evidence, the SAGE work planning process is used. In brief, the SAGE Secretariat solicits requests for SAGE advice from within and outside WHO, including WHO regional offices, technical partners, key stakeholders, SAGE members and the Secretariat.
The proposed topics are assessed as to their suitability for SAGE advice. Some of the aspects that are considered include the following: What are the questions for which SAGE advice is being sought? Is a SAGE decision needed? What is the expected output or products? What is the expected impact? Will a SAGE session result in the desired result or should the topic go to a different advisory body or be grouped into other ongoing work? What is the context and the requested timeframe for getting SAGE advice?
Based on this assessment, the SAGE Secretariat determines whether the topic will be considered as a potential SAGE topic. On a yearly basis, and following consultation with WHO regional offices, the potential SAGE topics are reviewed by the SAGE Secretariat, the IVB senior management, and the SAGE Chair.
Each topic will be considered based on the need for SAGE advice within the next 6-24 months, how the topic relates to WHO priorities and resources, and the required preparatory work for a SAGE deliberation. Based on this review, a SAGE short list of topics is established and posted on the SAGE website.
The SAGE short list of topics
The topics on this list have been prioritized for deliberation by SAGE in the coming 6-24 months and work is underway to gather evidence to inform the discussions and development of SAGE advice. This list is not exhaustive and adjustments can be made at any time.
| Topics | Discussion Items |
|---|---|
| HPV vaccines | Single dose vaccination in various age- and target groups. |
| Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) | Advise on the monitoring and evaluation of IA 2030 and on key thematic highlights. |
| Meningococcal vaccines and vaccination | Advise on the use of meningococcal B vaccines and on the use of multivalent meningococcal vaccines. |
| Mpox vaccines | Advise on the use of preventive and reactive mpox vaccination. |
| Ebola vaccines | Advise on the use of Ebola vaccine in the context of the Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak. |
| Polio | Advise on vaccination response to circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) outbreaks. Advise on inactivated polio vaccines (IPV) use in outbreak response and routine immunization. Advice on bOPV cessation planning. |
| Pertussis vaccines | Advise on the use of pertussis vaccines for maternal and routine childhood vaccination. |
| Chikungunya vaccines | Advise on the use of chikungunya vaccines. |
| Yellow Fever vaccines | Advise on the use of fractional dose yellow fever vaccine and the number of doses for protection. |
| Diphtheria vaccines | Advise on the use of diphtheria vaccines in outbreak settings and for routine vaccination. |
| New topics to start in 2026-2027 | |
| Cholera vaccines | Advise on the use of cholera vaccines for reactive and preventive vaccination. |
| Japanese encephalitis (JE) | Revise recommendations for JE vaccine use. |
This content was last updated on 9 July 2026