Responding to errors in the storage, handling, and administration of vaccines

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 62-69
Author(s):  
Dalia Youssef ◽  
Rachel Mearkle ◽  
Karen Ford
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Cold Chain ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Practical Advice ◽  
Practice Nurses ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Effective Public Health

The storage, handling, and administration of vaccines is a complex process. When errors occur, practice nurses must respond appropriately. Dalia Youssef, Rachel Mearkle and Karen Ford provide an overview of recent guidance and advice on how to avoid and deal with vaccine incidents Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions. It helps to prevent infectious disease and save lives. However, the storage, handling, and administration of vaccines is a complex process that is not immune to error. Vaccine incidents—including interruption of the cold chain—can undermine vaccine quality and efficacy, and, in some cases, this could require revaccination of patients. In September 2019, Public Health England published updated guidance about responding to errors in the storage, handling, and administration of vaccines. This article provides an overview of this guidance and includes practical advice on how to avoid and deal with common vaccine-related incidents.

scholarly journals Scaling up public health interventions: case study of the polio immunization program in Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Utsamani Cintyamena ◽  
Luthfi Azizatunnisa’ ◽  
Riris Andono Ahmad ◽  
Yodi Mahendradhata
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Local Area ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Cold Chain ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Immunization Program ◽  
Integrated Health ◽  
Polio Immunization

Abstract Background The scaling up of public health interventions has received greater attention in recent years; however, there remains paucity of systematic investigations of the scaling up processes. We aim to investigate the overall process, actors and contexts of polio immunization scaling up in Indonesia from 1988 until 2018. Methods A mixed method study with sequential explanatory design was conducted. We carried out a quantitative survey of 323 actors involved in the polio program at national and sub-national levels, followed by Key Informant Interviews (KII)s. Document review was also carried out to construct a timeline of the polio eradication program with milestones. We carried out descriptive statistical analysis of quantitative data and thematic analysis of qualitative data. Results The scaling up of polio immunization in Indonesia started as a vertical expansion approach led by the Ministry of Health within a centralized health system. The coverage of immunization increased dramatically from 5% in the earlier 80s to 67.5% in 1987; incremental increases followed until achieving Universal Child Immunization (UCI) in 1990 and subsequently 95% coverage in 1995. Engagement of stakeholders and funding made the scaling up of polio immunization a priority. There was also substantial multisector involvement, including institutions and communities. Local area monitoring (LAM) and integrated health posts (Posyandu) were key to the polio immunization implementation strategy. Challenges for scaling up during this centralized period included cold chain infrastructure and limited experience in carrying out mass campaigns. Scaling up during the decentralized era was slower due to expansion in the number of provinces and districts. Moreover, there were challenges such as the negative perception of immunization side-effects, staff turnover, and the unsmooth transition of centralization towards decentralization. Conclusion Vertical scaling up of polio immunization program intervention was successful during the centralized era, with involvement of the president as a role model and the engine of multi sector actors. Posyandu (integrated health posts) played an important role, yet its revitalization after the reform-decentralization era has not been optimum.

scholarly journals Fistula as a Public Health challenge in Pakistan

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shamoon Noushad ◽  
Shershah Syed ◽  
Sadaf Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Obstetric Fistula ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Public Health Challenge ◽  
Effective Public Health ◽  
The Impact

Aims: To explore the impact of obstetric fistula in the county and to propose effective public health interventions that can help to prevent the condition with a long-term goal of eradicating the condition. Methods: The survey and analysis included secondary data addressing women's experiences of fistula; dynamics and limitationsdetermining women's access to in healthcare facilities for fistula management; and restraintsof health professional as well as health inequities. Results: It was assessed that recently, many hospitals and organizations in the country go on board on intercessions to address the impact of the illness, however, much importance is on pinpointing and discussing the existing cases rather than focusing on public health interventions that can help to prevent and eventually eradicate the condition in Pakistan.

scholarly journals If long-term suppression is not possible, how do we minimize mortality for COVID-19 and other emerging infectious disease outbreaks?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Handel ◽  
Joel C. Miller ◽  
Yang Ge ◽  
Isaac Chun-Hai Fung
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Long Time

As COVID-19 continues to spread, public health interventions are crucial to minimize its impact. The most desirable goal is to drive the pathogen quickly to extinction. This generally involves applying interventions as strongly as possible, which worked for SARS, but so far has failed for COVID-19. If fast eradication is not achievable, the next best goal is to delay the spread and minimize cases and burden on the health care system until suitable drugs or vaccines are available. This suppression approach also calls for strong interventions, potentially applied for a long time.

scholarly journals A general approach to compensation for losses incurred due to public health interventions in the infectious disease context

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (S1) ◽  
pp. 32-46
Author(s):  
Søren Holm
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Personal Responsibility ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Test Cases ◽  
Care Provision ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Current Compensation ◽  
Compensation Mechanisms

AbstractThis paper develops a general approach to how society should compensate for losses that individuals incur due to public health interventions aimed at controlling the spread of infectious diseases. The paper falls in three parts. The first part provides an initial introduction to the issues and briefly outlines five different kinds of public health interventions that will be used as test cases. They are all directed at individuals and aimed at controlling the spread of infectious diseases (1) isolation, (2) quarantine, (3) recommended voluntary social distancing, (4) changes in health care provision for asymptomatic carriers of multi-resistant microorganisms, and (5) vaccination. The interventions will be briefly described including the various risks, burdens and harms individuals who are subject to these interventions may incur. The second part briefly surveys current compensation mechanisms as far as any exist and argue that even where they exist they are clearly insufficient and do not provide adequate compensation. The third part will then develop a general framework for compensation for losses incurred due to public health interventions in the infectious disease context. This is the major analytical and constructive part of the paper. It first analyses pragmatic and ethical arguments supporting the existence of an obligation on the part of the state to compensate for such losses, and then considers whether this obligation can be defeated by (1) resource considerations, or (2) issues relating to personal responsibility.

scholarly journals Five postulates for resolving outbreaks of infectious disease

2003 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 447-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip P. Mortimer
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Risk Group ◽  
Formal Analysis ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Emerging Pathogen ◽  
Finger Printing ◽  
Micro Organisms

Outbreaks of infection challenge the surveillance of infectious disease, but they also offer opportunities to improve and refine it. An outbreak may be the first sign of an emerging pathogen or it may draw attention to a new risk group or route of infection. Postulates analogous to those used a century ago by Robert Koch to prove the microbial aetiology of infectious diseases can be employed to verify the existence of an outbreak, demonstrate its cause and pinpoint its origins. In doing this, high-resolution molecular finger printing of micro-organisms has now assumed a crucial role. Without formal analysis based on postulates, the existence, extent and source of outbreaks may be overlooked and public health interventions misapplied or lost.

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