Obstacles to achieving immunization for all 2000: missed immunization opportunities and inappropriately timed immunization

Missed opportunities and inappropriately time immunization substantially reduced the coverage achieved in Mozambique and Guinea Conakry. During coverage surveys in Mozambique, we noted dates of attendance at a health facility for growth monitoring or vaccination, and in Conakry we also abstracted dates of curative care visits from home-based documents. In Mozambique, an average of 84 per cent of children aged 12-23 months had documents, and an average of 53 per cent of children were fully and correctly vaccinated. Among children with cards, 11 per cent had received all vaccines, but at least one dose was applied before the recommended age or with too short an interval between doses (inappropriately timed vaccinations). A further 8 per cent of children had sufficient documented contacts with preventive services to be fully vaccinated, but immunization opportunities had been missed. In Conakry, 54 per cent of 12-23 month-old children had immunization cards, and only 19 per cent were fully and correctly vaccinated. Among children with cards, 9 per cent had received all vaccines, but some were inappropriately timed, and 19 per cent had enough contacts with curative or preventative services to be fully vaccinated, but opportunities had been missed. We recommend that home-based records document all health centre visits, including those for curative care, and that missed opportunities and vaccination timing be routinely evaluated during vaccine coverage surveys.     

Consensus recommendations on immunization and IAP immunization timetable 2012

Justification  

Vaccinology today is a rapidly changing specialty of medical science where new developments are regularly taking place. There is a need to review/revise recommendations about existing vaccines in the light of recent information.     

Status of immunization and need for intensification of routine immunization in India

Vaccines have made a major contribution to public health but vaccines-preventable diseases (VPDs) are still responsible for significant deaths of under-five children. Despite Global efforts, the coverage in two WHO regions namely Africa and South-East Asia (SEA) still remain short of set targets for 2010. As a result, the SEA Regional Director has declared 2012 as the Year for Intensifying Routine Immunization (RI) in the Region.     

Preterm infants immunization

Preterm infants have a unique immune system and a higher risk of vaccine preventable diseases. In some instances they are recommended to have additional doses of particular vaccines. This review details these preterm infants' immunization recommendations and outlines some of the strategies that can be employed to optimize their protection from vaccine preventable diseases.     

Maximizing office-based immunization

Vaccines are a great public health achievement only if we can deliver those vaccines to individual patients. It is impressive that gradually increasing immunization rates are so consistent in spite of a new birth cohort every year, complexity of the schedule, shortages, changes in reimbursement policies, and vaccine news stories. Pediatricians have always embraced their public health role, especially as immunization providers. By helping practices improve their immunization delivery system, rates can be raised throughout a community by first maximizing office-based immunization.