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23 July 2010

NaTHNaC Survey on Immunisation Training and Techniques

The Health Protection Agency’s National Minimum Standards for Immunisation Training for England, Wales and Northern Ireland recommends that all staff involved in immunisation attend an initial minimum two days basic training course (1). The essential topics to be studied during the training are detailed in the Core Curriculum (2). These include:

  • The aims of the national policy and schedules

  • The immune system and how vaccines work

  • Vaccine preventable diseases

  • The different types of vaccines and their composition

  • Current issues and controversies regarding immunisation

  • Communicating with patients and parents

  • Legal aspects of vaccination

  • Storage and handling of vaccines

  • Correct administration of vaccines

  • Anaphylaxis and other adverse events

  • Documentation, record keeping and reporting

  • Strategies for improving immunisation rates

Vaccine administration training should cover the following so that immunisers can:

  • Identify the correct dose and site of administration of all vaccines for each age group

  • List true contraindications for all vaccines and describe common false contraindications for vaccines

  • Position patients of different ages for safe and effective vaccination

  • Reconstitute vaccines correctly

  • Explain how to prepare and dispose of vaccination equipment

Following initial basic theoretical training, it is recommended that immunisers should spend a minimum amount of supervised time e.g. two practical immunisation clinic sessions, in order to assess their competency in vaccine administration.

Immunisers should then attend annual updates following initial training (1).

The Core Curriculum suggests that annual updates include the following:

  • Current issues in vaccination

  • Recent epidemiology of vaccine preventable diseases

  • Any changes to the National Immunisation Schedule

  • Any changes to legislation relevant to vaccination

  • Anaphylaxis recognition and management

  • Review of current practice and identification of areas for improvement

  • Q&A session for commonly encountered problems in practice

The Royal College of Nursing produced UK guidance on the different immunisation techniques that can be used and the correct techniques recommended (3).

The aim of this survey is to:

  • Assess whether healthcare professionals are aware of the recommended National Minimum Standards for Immunisation Training

  • Determine whether formal training has been accessed

  • Determine the injection techniques currently used and the level of confidence in using them.

  • Determine if the further training is considered necessary to perform less frequently used  injection techniques e.g. intradermal injections

To complete the survey click here.

References

1. National Minimum Standards for Immunisation Training. HPA 2005. [Accessed 21 July 2010]. Available at:

http://www.hpa.org.uk/Publications/InfectiousDiseases/0506

NationalMinimumStandardsforImmunisationTraining/

2. Core Curriculum in Immunisation Training HPA June 2005. [Accessed 21 July 2010]. Available at:  

http://www.hpa.org.uk/Publications/InfectiousDiseases/0506

CoreCurriculumforImmunisationTraining/

3. RCN UK Best Practice in Vaccine Administration. 2001

Additional Resources

1. Salisbury D, Ramsay M, Noakes K. Rabies In: Salisbury D, Ramsay M, Noakes K. Immunisation against infectious disease. London: The Stationary Office. 2006; 329-42. [Accessed 21 July 2010].  Available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications

/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_079917

2. Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Position Statement on Injection Technique March 2002. [Accessed 21 July 2010]. Available at: http://www.rcpch.ac.uk/publications/recent_publications/

Injections1.pdf

3. Diggle, L, Deeks J. Effect of needle length on the incidence of local reactions to routine immunisation in infants aged 4 months:randomised control trial. BMJ 2000;321:931-3

4. Health Protection Agency. Immunisation and Training Resources for Healthcare professionals. [Accessed 21 July 2010]. Available at http://www.hpa.org.uk/EventsProfessionalTraining/Infections

TrainingAndEvents/InfectionsTrainingResources/Immunisation

TrainingResources/.