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Photo of VHT conducting a
community meeting
What VHTs and community mobilisers need to know and do
MOBILISING COMMUNITIES FOR IMMUNIZATION
SERVICES
MOBILISING COMMUNITIES FOR IMMUNIZATION SERVICESWhat VHTs and community mobilisers need to know and do
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MOBILISING COMMUNITIES FOR IMMUNIZATION SERVICESWhat VHTs and community mobilisers need to know and do
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1. Introduction
Immunization is the most important health programme that protects children from vaccine preventable diseases. You as Village Health Teams have a responsibility to mobilize communities and give them correct messages on immunization so that parents and caretakers can take their children for immunization and complete immunization schedule. This booklet therefore is aimed at providing you with basic facts about immunization, its benefits and the basic messages to deliver to the parents and caretakers to promote immunization services in your communities.
2. What is immunization?
Immunization is a means of protecting a person against specific diseases by building the body’s defense system so that it is able to fight off diseases. This is achieved through giving vaccines to a child by mouth and by injections. The act of giving vaccines to the child either by mouth or by injection is called vaccination.
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3. Who should be immunized?
All children below one year should be immunized against the vaccine preventable diseases. However, children above one year but below five years and have not been immunized should receive the doses they missed at the earliest opportunity. Children should complete the immunization schedule before their first birthday. You should mobilize parents and caretakers to take them for immunization 5 times before they are one year old.
All girls and women of child bearing age (15-49 years) including pregnant women should be immunized against tetanus. This protects them and their unborn babies against tetanus. Immunization against tetanus for girls should start at the age of 15 years.
4. How is Immunization done?
Polio vaccine is administered by putting drops in the mouth of the baby while all other vaccines are given by injections.
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5. How effective is Immunization?
All vaccines are very effective in preventing diseases only when all recommended doses have been completed. These vaccines have been approved by Ministry of Health, World Health Organisation and UNICEF.
6. Immunisation schedule for children
Parents should immunize their children Five times before one year old.
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CON
TACT
AGE
VACC
INE
DIS
EASE
PR
EVEN
TED
HO
W A
ND
WH
ERE
VACC
INE
IS G
IVEN
1st
At B
irth
Polio
0
BCG
Polio
Tube
rcul
osis
Drop
s in
the
Mou
th
Inje
ctio
n on
the
right
upp
er a
rm
2nd
At 6
wee
ks(1
1/2
mon
ths)
Polio
1
DPT1
-Hep
B1
+Hib
1
PCV
1
Polio
Diph
ther
ia, W
hoop
ing,
Tet
anus
, Hep
atiti
s B,
& h
aem
ophi
lus
influ
ezae
type
b
Pneu
mon
ia
Drop
s in
the
mou
th
Inje
ctio
n on
the
Left
thig
h
Inje
ctio
n on
the
right
thig
h
3rd
At 1
0 we
eks
(21/
2 m
onth
s)
Polio
2
DPT2
-Hep
B2
+Hib
2
PCV
2
Polio
Diph
ther
ia, W
hoop
ing,
Tet
anus
, Hep
atiti
s B,
& h
aem
ophi
lus
influ
ezae
type
b
Pneu
mon
ia
Drop
s in
the
mou
th
Inje
ctio
n o
n th
e Le
ft th
igh
Inje
ctio
n on
the
right
thig
h
4th
At 1
4 we
eks
(31/
2 m
onth
s)
Polio
3
DPT3
-He
pB3+
Hib3
PCV
3
Polio
Diph
ther
ia, W
hoop
ing,
Tet
anus
, Hep
atiti
s B
& h
aem
ophi
lus
influ
ezae
type
b
Pneu
mon
ia
Drop
s in
the
mou
th
Inje
ctio
n-Le
ft up
per t
high
Inje
ctio
n on
the
right
thig
h
i) Im
muniz
ation
sche
dule
for ch
ildre
n
MOBILISING COMMUNITIES FOR IMMUNIZATION SERVICESWhat VHTs and community mobilisers need to know and do
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5th
At 9
Mon
ths
Mea
sles
Mea
sles
Inje
ctio
n on
the
Left
uppe
r arm
At 6
mon
ths
and
ever
y 6
mon
ths
until
ch
ild is
5
year
s
Vita
min
A
Supp
lem
ent
Prev
ent b
lindn
ess
and
stre
ngth
en
resi
stan
ce a
gain
st o
ther
dis
ease
sDr
ops
in th
e m
outh
ii) Im
muniz
ation
sche
dule
for w
omen
again
st tet
anus
Age
Min
imum
inte
rval
bet
wee
n do
ses
Vacc
ine
give
nD
isea
se
prev
ente
dAt
15
year
s/fir
st c
onta
ct n
on-
preg
nant
wom
enNi
lTe
tanu
s To
xoid
Teta
nus
1st c
onta
ct w
ith p
regn
ant w
oman
Nil
Teta
nus
Toxo
idTe
tanu
s
2nd c
onta
ctAt
leas
t 1 m
onth
afte
r TT1
Teta
nus
Toxo
idTe
tanu
s
3rd C
onta
ctAt
leas
t 6 m
onth
s af
ter T
T2Te
tanu
s To
xoid
Teta
nus
4th c
onta
ctAt
leas
t 1 y
ear a
fter T
T3Te
tanu
s To
xoid
Teta
nus
5th c
onta
ctAt
leas
t 1 y
ear a
fter T
T4Te
tanu
s To
xoid
Teta
nus
MOBILISING COMMUNITIES FOR IMMUNIZATION SERVICESWhat VHTs and community mobilisers need to know and do
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7. What are the benefits of Immunization?
Immunisation strengthens a child’s ability to fight diseases
Reduces chances of children suffering from childhood immunizable diseases
Protects children from liver disease and cancer later in life
Prevents complications such as lameness and blindness in children and burden to parent, community and nation
Contributes to child’s proper growth and development
Reduces costs in terms of time and money spent on treatment. This contributes to socio-economic development
Protects the entire community from the 9 childhood vaccine preventable diseases
Protects the mother and her unborn baby from tetanus
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8. What are the possible body reactions of immunization and how should they be managed?
Note that not all children experience body reactions after immunization. However, should they occur, they present as follows and should be managed in the following way:
Possible side effect/body reaction Possible action
Rise in body temperature
Cool the body with a wet piece of cloth (tepid sponging). Dress child with wet clothing and give extra fluids to the child
Local reaction (swelling, pain and redness at the site of injection)
Do not apply any medication. Leave it to heal by itself
If temperature or swelling persists, or any other severe reactions occur, refer the child to the nearest health facility for proper management
9. Roles of VHTs in mobilizing communities for immunization
Educate parents and caretakers on
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the benefits of taking their children for immunization and completing immunization schedule before children are one year old.
Advocate and lobby for local leaders’ commitment and support for immunization services
Work closely with health workers to identify problems related to low coverage and dropout rates so that communities are mobilized to overcome them
Conduct home visiting to educate parents and caretakers about immunization and remind them about the date, time and place of outreach and static sessions for immunization
Act as role models by taking your own children for immunization and complete the immunization schedule
Follow-up the dropouts and unimmunized children and mobilize parents and caretakers to take them for immunization.
Immediately report any suspected Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFIs) to the nearest health facility
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In liaison with the LC1 chairperson, keep track of children in the village who are immunized and non-immunized
Register all new borns under one year and under five years old children
Distribute IEC materials to the right audiences and display them in strategic places in the community
Report notifiable diseases occurring in your communities
Collect immunization data from the community and submit to the health facility and give feedback to communities to improve and promote immunization services
Announce/publicize the locations and dates for the outreaches in places of worship, markets, burial places, weddings
Identify other mobilisers working on health issues e.g. women groups, youth, drama groups, and other social groups and forge linkages for working together to mobilize for immunization services
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10. Key messages
The Village Health Team members or any other mobiliser should communicate key messages to parents and caretakers about immunization on the following key areas so they can take their children for immunization and complete the immunization schedule.
The targeted immunisable diseasesImmunisation protects children against the following vaccine preventable diseases:Polio, Tuberculosis, Whooping Cough, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Hepatitis B (Liver disease), Haemophilus Influenzae type b, measles and pneumonia.
Benefits of immunizationExplain the benefits of immunization to children, parents, caretakers and the nation
Importance of bringing a child health cardTell the parents and caretakers that they should always bring child health cards with them to the health facilities each time they take their children for immunization. The child health card will help the health worker to check the immunization
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status and growth of the child.
Number of doses of the vaccine and visits required to give the child full protectionFor the child to be fully immunized against nine vaccine preventable diseases, parents and caretakers should take them to the health facility five times to receive the required doses of the vaccines during the first year of life.
Number of doses of tetanus vaccine required to give women full protectionFor a woman to have full protection against tetanus (self and new born baby) she must receive TT vaccination five times beginning at 15 years until 49 years.
Probable body reactions after immunization and their management Educate parents and caretakers about the probable body reactions that are likely to occur after each vaccine has been given. Advise parents and caretakers on how to manage the body reactions resulting from each vaccine, where and when to seek medical assistance in case of prolonged body reactions. “It is possible that a child may develop mild body reactions after
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immunization. e.g. fever and pain or a swelling at the site of injection; do not apply any medication-it will heal by itself.”
Return dateTell the parents and caretakers about the exact day and date when they should return for the next immunization session, say how many weeks ahead the date is.
The place/venue of the next immunizationTell the parents where to go for the next immunization session by announcing in places of worship, markets, weddings and other social events.
Safety of vaccinesEmphasize to the parents and caretakers, the fact that vaccines are safe and effective and have been tested and approved by Ministry of Health, WHO and UNICEF. They do not cause lameness and diseases.
Availability of vaccinesImmunisation is free and available at all government, some NGO and private health facilities as well as some outreaches.
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Immunisation is a government priorityImmunisation is a government priority. Every child has a right to be immunized and it’s the duty of parents and caretakers to immunize their children.
Immunisation of sick childrenIt is safe to immunize a child who has a minor illness, a disability or who is malnourished. Very sick children should be treated first and immunized on discharge.
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