Service delivery
Effective immunization programs include a continuum of steps, including communicating to the public about vaccines, ensuring proper vaccine storage, tracking disease burden, and giving safe injections. Health care professionals working with immunization programs in developing countries experience unique challenges due to the often variable conditions around them, such as a lack of consistent equipment and the remote locations of some villages. Additionally, clinicians must manage an array of actors that can be involved in immunization programs, specific guidelines for immunization timing, and a lack of awareness among the general public about vaccines.
PATH is working to improve delivery of vaccines to those in need through the use of novel technologies to improve injection and vaccine safety. Visit PATH's website to learn more about PATH’s work in developing technologies to improve injection safety and vaccine delivery technologies.
View resources on service delivery
Key resources
Immunization Essentials: A Practical Field Guide (2004)
A US Agency for International Development (USAID) training manual on immunization program management; delivery of immunization services; monitoring, evaluation, and information management; vaccine safety; cold chain logistics; and many other related topics.
Immunization in Practice (2004)
An online manual from the World Health Organization (WHO) on immunization program management, including diseases, vaccines, working with the cold chain, ensuring safe injections, and monitoring and evaluation of immunization programs.
Immunization Training Partnership A collaborative website from WHO for sharing and exchanging information related to immunization training. The site highlights training events, allows users to share documents for review, facilitates training materials dissemination, and acts as a forum for discussing training content and methodology.
Standard Operating Procedures for Investigation of Adverse Events Following Immunization (2007)
A document produced by the Government of India and WHO that provides guidelines for clinical workers on recognizing, reporting, and investigating adverse events following immunization. It includes copies of standard forms and tables summarizing both common and rare reactions.
Featured PATH resources
Cold Chain Equipment Management (2008)
A tool
to help cold chain managers and public health officers make strategic decisions about managing their cold chain equipment.
Giving Safe Injections: Using Auto-Disable Syringes for Immunization (2001)
A training curriculum for health care workers who provide injections, including information on the health impact of unsafe injections, selecting safe and effective vaccines, safely reconstituting vaccines, reading vaccine vial monitors, preventing needlestick injuries, and using a variety of auto-disable syringes.
Preventing Vaccine Freezing in the Cold Chain (2003)
Materials on vaccine freezing, including background information on the freezing problem; posters and stickers ready for use in a vaccine store and clinic; and a sample protocol for a vaccine freeze study, along with the results of a study in Indonesia.
Proper Handling and Disposal of Auto-Disable Syringes and Safety Boxes (2006)
A training module specially designed to be easy to adapt for national programs, including key technical content and quizzes, role plays, and creative ideas for trainers.
