The second part of this study session describes how to implement your action plan depending on where you will be conducting the immunization session. Immunization can be delivered at various sites, each of which has some differences in terms of preparation and delivery. To increase immunization coverage, a combination of these three approaches should be used:

  • Fixed-site service is delivered at your Health Post. Ideally, immunization should be routinely available on a daily basis, but this may not be possible in your setting. In order to increase attendance, the regular days should be fixed after discussion with community members.
  • Outreach service involves Health Post staff and volunteers giving immunizations in the community on well-publicised dates and at well-known locations. Establishing an outreach immunization service on a regular basis, in addition to the service at your Health Post, is a key part of the approach in Ethiopia called ‘Reaching Every Infant/Child’.
  • Mobile service involves a team going to remote or hard-to-reach parts of an area and staying there for more than one day to deliver immunizations, for example to pastoral or nomadic communities.

As part of your planning procedure, you should have determined the size of the target population in your kebele, and made a map of your area. This will help you determine which parts of the community can best be served by fixed-site immunization, and which by an outreach or mobile delivery service. The main difference between these three ways of delivering the immunization service is the method of maintaining the cold chain. We start by considering an immunization session at your Health Post, and then briefly describe the additional requirements for an outreach or mobile delivery service.

Last modified: Wednesday, 14 May 2014, 6:28 PM