The Centre for Vaccines and Immunology (CVI) was established in 2012, to provide laboratory and epidemiological support to the National Department of Health. The centre serves as the National Surveillance Laboratory and the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Reference Laboratory for acute flaccid paralysis as well as measles and rubella surveillance. This includes receiving and testing samples from all nine provinces in South Africa. In addition to testing samples from the Southern block countries: AngolBotswanLesotho, NamibiMadagascar, Mozambique, Malawi, ZambiZimbabwe and Swaziland, the centre also conducts other virological and immunological research projects on tuberculosis, viral hepatitis and other vaccine-preventable diseases.