Training Vaccinators in a Time of Change

This article begins by posing certain questions about staff training for immunisation programmes: Why have training activities been neglected? Why is training often afforded insufficient staff allocation, resources, and time?

Published in the October 2001 issue of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) Immunization Focus Newsletter, the article addresses these questions. It explores the experience of one non-governmental organisation that worked with partners to train people in various countries that are introducing new vaccines, new injection technologies, and new policies. It also includes examples of training initiatives developed by the Children's Vaccine Program at Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH).

These examples are intended to draw out suggestions for those embarking on immunisation training programmes, such as the importance of finding out what staff know and need to know, the components and timelines involved in successful training, the tendency of training to expose policy gaps and to force decisions, the effort to increase demand for immunisation, and the significance of focusing on specific vaccination issues (like Hepatitis B).