Reporting and investigating adverse events following immunization campaigns in Afghanistan : creating a tool for follow up

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).