| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this project was to assist the Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health (MOPH, 2002)
in developing guidelines for a tool to conduct follow-up investigations of AEFis. Mass immunization
campaigns are currently the main venue for eradication (polio), elimination (measles), and
prevention (tetanus) efforts for children and women in Afghanistan. If AEFis are not followed up
carefully and promptly, serious AEFis can erode public confidence in vaccines and contribute to
poor immunization
coverage.
Background:
In the past 35 years, childhood immunizations have become one of the most efficient and cost
effective public health preventative measures in both developed and developing countries. As a
result, millions of children have been saved from crippling and fatal consequences from vaccine
preventable diseases (Hadler, Cochi, Bilous, & Cutts, 2004). In fact, with the exception of safe
water, no other intervention, not even antibiotics, has had such a major effect on mortality
reduction and population growth (Plotkin, & Plotkin, 2004). Vaccines have not only assisted with
disease prevention and control such as measles elimination programs but disease eradication, with
smallpox eradication in 1980 and the prediction of eminent eradication of polio by 2006 (World
Health Organization [WHO], 2004). | |
