While it is important that polio drops be given to each child every time there is a polio campaign, these drops can only prevent children from polio — for protection against other diseases, routine immunization needs to be completed.
However, the efficacy and safety of HSC-based immunization strategies need to be further evaluated in detailed studies prior to their implementation to clinical practice.
In order to provide a full range of protection both active and passive immunization approaches need to be taken.
In this regard, neonatal immunization and/or accelerated infant immunization schedules could be promising additional or alternative strategies to protect newborns, but a number of issues about safety and immunogenicity of such immunization schedules need to be solved [ 4, 33- 36].
Those with inadequate knowledge and practices regarding immunization need to be targeted to maintain and improve immunization coverage.
Any plans for voluntary vaccination beyond the recommendations from the immunization panel "will need to be reassessed using the scientific data collected from monitoring the initial vaccinations," Dr. Flaherty said.
"With the numbers of deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases increasing, some governments are not prioritizing or focusing on investing in immunization programmes that need to be sustained," she added.
Linkages: Key technical and advisory bodies for routine immunization (NITAGs, NRAs, ICCs) need to be linked.
"After this catastrophe, maternal and child health care, including immunization and nutrition, will need to be prioritized in order to prevent deaths and debilitating illness", Ms Austin said.
Accurate records are needed to maintain health histories for children, so that health workers can identify those who need to be immunized, flag missed immunizations and help families follow the recommended immunization schedules.
