Reporting immunisation data

All the data that have been collected on your immunisation programme has to be organised into a summary report for transmission from the health post to the health centre that supervises you. The health centre collects data from all the satellite health posts and transmits it to the woreda (district) health office. The woreda health office compiles data from health facilities in the district for transmission to the higher level, and eventually to the Federal Ministry of health. At each level, the data should be analysed and used to improve the immunisation program.

What Data Should the Summary Report Contain?

The summary report from your health post should include the following information:

• Vaccinations and vitamin A supplements given to infants and women.
  Data collected on the tally sheets should be organised clearly.
• Vaccine-preventable diseases in your area. State the number of cases of each vaccine-preventable disease and the immunisation status of each case. Even if there are no cases of a disease during the reporting period, you should still provide a "zero" report.
• Adverse events following immunisation (AEFI). If there have been any adverse events during the month, the details of any that are life threatening, resulted in hospitalisation, disability (or have the potential to result in disability), or resulted in death, should be reported. If there are no cases, provide a "zero" report.
• Vaccine usage and wastage patterns. The usage and wastage of vaccines will vary from one session to another. However, it is useful to monitor wastage and usage patterns regularly at all immunisation sessions, to improve supply and avoid stock shortages. This can be done by recording the number of vaccine vials at the start and end of every session, and the number of vials received or wasted each month.
• Any specific problems encountered during the reporting period (e.g. stock Shortages, transportation problems, cold chain failure, etc.)

Characteristics of Good Summary Reports

You should ensure that the summary reports you prepare on your immunisation service are:

Complete: ensure all the sections of the reports have been completed; no parts have been left blank, and all reports due from outreach sites or mobile teams have been received.

Timely: when reports are sent and received on time, there is a greater possibility of a prompt and effective response to any problems you have identified.

Accurate: before sending the reports, check the totals and all calculations to make sure that the published figures correspond to the actual numbers in the tally sheets, the EPI Registration Book and the immunisation cards.

This helps you to evaluate the accuracy of your recorded data and identify and resolve any discrepancies. The district, provincial and national levels should keep track of the completeness and timeliness of reporting at your level, and remind you about any missing or late reports.