Both immunization and family planning save lives. Through family planning,couples can achieve healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies. At the same time, immunizations are one of the most effective and well utilized child-health promotion strategies globally. The recommended vaccination schedule for children allows for multiple health care contacts with infants and their mothers during the first year of life. Although …
Global Health Council blog on MDG 4: Delivering on the Promise of Immunization
Rebecca Fields and Robert Steinglass discuss Rwanda becoming the first country in Africa to introduce the pneumococcal vaccine: http://thepump.jsi.com/mdg-4-delivering-on-the-promise-of-immunization/.
Letter to editor in JAMA on Global Eradication of Polio
Published letter to the editor of JAMA from MCSP’s Immunization Team Lead, Robert Steinglass.
LiST tool critique in the International Journal of Epidemiology
The versatility of the tool, if fully exercised, could help users look at the bigger public health picture, assessing both future marginal mortality gains (lives saved) and past mortality reduction gains (by showing lives lost if gains are not maintained).
Researching Routine Immunization: Do We Know What We Don’t Know?
There is an enormous range of research that could be undertaken to support routine immunization. However, implementation of strategic plans, rather than additional research will have the greatest impact on raising immunization coverage and preventing disease, disability, and death from vaccine-preventable diseases. The panel emphasized the importance of tying operational research to programmatic needs, with a focus on efforts to …
Tools and Job aids for Routine Immunization
An index of job aids and tools developed by the MCHIP India Immunization & Newborn Team.
Periodic Intensification of Routine Immunization
This paper surveys a wide array of PIRI experiences, drawing on the fragmented documentation that exists at this time. It is based on a desk review of planning documents, guidelines, website information, data on the accomplishments of these campaigns (where available) and other gray literature, plus interviews and email communication with individuals from several countries where PIRI activities have been …
Reaching Every District Approach: A Guide for District Health Management Teams
The purpose of this Guide is to stimulate interest in improving and sustaining high levels of immunization coverage in all districts and to give health program managers (governmental and non-governmental), supervisors and health workers practical information about the RED approach.
Issue 2: Coverage confusion! Trying to make sense of it
In this issue of Snap Shots, we explain where these different coverage estimates come from and how they should and should not be used. We also point you to other references that we hope will help to clear up the coverage confusion.
Issue 5: More juice from the squeeze: Linking immunization services with other health interventions
This issue of SnapShots explores some aspects of integrating or “linking” vaccination services with other health services and interventions: what criteria must be met to make this effective, what is practical for program managers to do, and why it is in their interest.