Vaccines:

Besides being one of the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions, vaccines are also one of the most important factors affecting children’s health and their quality of life.
 
The Expanded Program on Immunization covers the vaccination services for the vulnerable age groups in order to protect and immunize as well as to control and eradicate pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, and H. Influenza type B infections that can have serious consequences like illness, disability or death. Immunization services are the primary services for preventive health care. These services also provide an opportunity to deliver other life-saving measures, such as family planning and nutrition, to mothers and children.

As a Collaborating Center of WHO, ICC aims to expand this cost-effective approach not only in Turkey but also in Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and South Caucasus and in the Commonwealth of Independent States by providing skill-based training on program management to mid-level managers.

By this means, ICC in collaboration with UNICEF Tashkent Office and WHO Tashkent Office and full support of Ministry of Health Care of Uzbekistan carried out Workshop on “Immunization Training for Mid-level Managers” in Tashkent-Uzbekistan on 25-29 March 2013. Thirty three managers from different regions of all levels participated the workshop.

The main objective of the workshop is to contribute to increase the quality of immunization services, to increase immunization coverage and inform health professionals and managers on effective programme management.

After carrying out a workshop on “Immunization Training for Mid-level Managers” in Tashkent-Uzbekistan on 25-29 March 2013, ICC carried out similar two workshops in Kiev-Ukraine on 7-11 October and 14-18 October 2013. These workshops were supported by World Health Organisation (WHO) Europe Office and WHO Ukraine Office.  Fifty five managers from different regions of all levels participated to the workshops.

Another workshop on “Immunization Training for Mid-level Managers” was carried out in Baku-Azerbajian on 10-14 November 2014. This workshop was supported by World Health Organisation (WHO) Europe Office and WHO Azerbajian Office.  Twenty five managers from different regions of all levels participated to the workshops.

European Immunization Week

In 2013, ICC (WHO Collaboration Centre) with the support of Bilkent University Library displayed materials and fact sheets about immunization at the entrance of the main library building to raise awareness among university staff and students. During the week , the library was visited by 20276 people.
Health professionals working at the primary health care level in Ankara were also provided a conference on Immunization by the Ass. Prof. Sevtap Güney, a member of National Immunization Committee. Total of 163 health care providers attended the meeting.

In 2014, ICC (WHO Collaboration Centre) with the support of Bilkent University Health Center, Bilkent Genetic Society and Social Responsibility Projects prepared immunization brochures (Tetanus and HPV) and posters to raise awareness among university staff and students. Posters were displayed at the Bilkent University Health Center and Tetanus and HPV brochures were distributed to university staff and students. Moreover, Health professionals working at the primary health care level in Mardin were also provided a conference on Immunization by the Ass. Prof. Sevtap Güney, a member of National Immunization Committee. Total of 282 health care providers attended the meeting. These conferences will continue all the year round.

ICC Baku Branch Immunization Training in Azerbaijan

It has been established that timely vaccination protects children from an early age and prevents disease outbreaks. In the developed countries, investigators have concluded that the primary cause for epidemics of vaccine preventable diseases was failure to provide vaccines on schedule. Delayed immunization schedule is partly due to ineffective provider practices which lead to missed opportunities for vaccination. Conventional wisdom holds that missed opportunity for vaccination is the single most important cause of low vaccination levels.

Missed opportunities are caused by less than optimal provider immunization practices, such as deferring immunizations for invalid reasons. Missed opportunities may result in delayed vaccination, under immunization and inadequate protection against preventable disease.

Missed opportunities may be attributable to deficiencies in the provider’s knowledge of the immunization schedule and true vaccine contraindications or overcautious interpretation of the contraindications. Minor illness although not a true contraindication often is associated with missed opportunities. Missed opportunities also exist when inappropriate contraindications are used to deny vaccination to children in need. General practitioners and pediatricians may have doubts about the real contraindications to primary vaccinations.

It is well-known that  accepting fewer contraindications to vaccinations from paediatricians in office-based practice is associated with higher practice immunization rates and vice versa.

Thus in a one day workshop was organized to address the  issues related to a routine immunization clinic encounter: patient intake and screening, vaccine administration, vaccine management, documentation, vaccine adverse events management and reporting, and resources for pediatricians practicing in Baku, Azerbaijan area in coordination with Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan and Affiliation Center of ICC in Baku. 32 pediatricians were participated to the workshop.

Dr.Nasip Gulayev (Chief Pediatrician, Advisor for the Minister of Health, Head of Baku Pediatrics Hospital) addressed the importance of providing vaccines on schedule and of lowering the missed opportunities to protect children against vaccine preventable diseases and the role of pediatricians for the success of immunization programmes.
 
Though this workshop addresses the knowledge gap related to the routine immunization clinic encounter in the context of recommended standards of practice for patient intake and screening was addressed by Ass.Prof.Sevtap Güney (Akdeniz University Medical Faculty, Department of Pediatrics, Antalya-Turkey).
The communication strategies for parents who have questions or concerns about vaccines was disscussed by Prof. Selda Bülbül (Kırıkkale University Medical Faculty, Department of Pediatrics, Kırıkkale-Turkey).

The common immunization practice errors related to vaccine administration and vaccine storage and handling, and the importance of staff orientation and development was discussed by Dr. Guljan Dönmez (Provincial Health Directorate, Manisa-Turkey) and Dr. Arzu Köseli (Senior expert, ICC, Ankara-Turkey).

In the context of raising quality of in-service training of health workers, World Health Organization, requested  a Master Protocol on “new strategies in training” and development of guideline with participation of international experts.

A training Master Protocol was developed drawing on available evidence from the literature review and Expert Consultation Meeting held in November, 19-20 2012 at  the International Children’s Center in Ankara, Turkey.

It was the recommendation of the consultation that, the International Children’s Center to carry out the preparation of “Training Master Protocol (TMP) and Manual for Trainers (MfT)” in order to reflect the new concept of “cascade plus strategy”. Prof Dr Zafer Oztek, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Institute of Public Health, and Prof Angela Kydd, University of West Scotland, provided consultancy services to ICC to produce the document.

Training Master Protocol (TMP) and Manual for Trainers (MfT) were prepared to train health care professionals more effectively for introduction of new vaccines by using “cascade plus strategy” especially in developing countries.