IMMUNIZATION TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING: EMPOWERING HEALTHCARE WORKERS FOR EFFECTIVE VACCINE DELIVERY
Immunization programs are the most essential instruments and achievements in public health, clubbed together with better healthcare access in their importance for longer lifespans and reduced mortality rates.
Training healthcare staff is crucial in improving the performance of immunization programs. This builds core competencies, including professional attitudes, required vaccine administration skills, and documentation skills.
In addition, it ensures a trained workforce that implements vaccine-related programs and policies. It also builds healthcare capacity to meet immunization needs at all levels, minimize attrition, and optimize outcomes.
The Department of Health and Sanitation held a two-day’s immunization training for immunization staff, public health officers and CHPs from across the entire county to enable them to identify access and utilization barriers, pinpoint priority areas and associated health centers, and form a roadmap to ensure expanded coverage in the county.
Training non-medical immunization staff such as CHPs is vital to ensure best practices are followed. Infants need to be assessed before vaccination.
Community engagement is key to the success of any immunization program. This includes education about the need for and benefits of vaccines, as well as their safety. This is essential to dispel misconceptions, reduce resistance, and improve vaccine coverage.
According to the County EPI Coordinator Susan Biwott, “Training and capacity building for immunization staff is one of the most important factors in enhancing immunization performance and effectively introducing new vaccines, technologies, practices and policies.”
“We save children’s lives through vaccination; we protect them from deadly diseases and raise caregivers’ awareness about routine vaccinations,” Mulahi an immunization officer emphasizes.
“These new skills will improve the quality of work and help us provide better immunization services.” Jeokemboi, an immunization officer.
With support from generous partners such as JHPIEGO works to improve immunization programmes and the provision of health care services through various activities, including training health workers.