PMC to conduct special training for healthcare staff on revised AEFI guidelines

PMC health department will conduct special training session for healthcare staff on revised guidelines for monitoring and reporting adverse effects following immunisation

PUNE The health department of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will conduct a special training session for healthcare staff on Friday to acquaint them with the revised guidelines for monitoring and reporting adverse effects following immunisation (AEFI), officials said.

PMC health department will conduct special training session for healthcare staff on revised guidelines for monitoring and reporting adverse effects following immunisation. ((PIC FOR REPRESENTATION))

According to the revised guidelines, vaccinators must report all AEFI incidents to the immunisation centre using the case report format (CRF) within 24 hours. This data should then be forwarded to the state office within the subsequent 24 hours. Detailed investigations, which previously had to be completed within 10 days, must now be reported in CRF within 21 days.

Dr Rajesh Dighe, city immunisation officer, PMC, said that as many as 300 healthcare staff and doctors and medical officers will undergo the training workshop. “As per the new guidelines, even minor AEFI incidents are now required to be reported on the eVIN portal. All AEFI incidents must be reported by vaccinators to the immunisation centre using CRF within 24 hours. This data should then be forwarded to the state office within 24 hours. Besides, detailed investigations which previously had to be completed within 10 days, must now be reported in CRF within 21 days,” he said.

Dr Dighe further informed that vaccinators are now mandated to carry an anaphylaxis kit to outreach sites to ensure immediate response to severe reactions. “AEFI reactions, even those not listed under the National Immunisation Schedule, must be reported. In case of AEFI-related deaths, the submission of a verbal autopsy form is now compulsory,” he added.

This month, the Maharashtra health department conducted two workshops for health officials of local bodies to inform them about the revised guidelines. The new guidelines were issued to the PMC last month and will be implemented in the city for the immunisation programme. Besides, the team from the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) will conduct a surprise visit in the city to check if the new AEFI guidelines are being followed, a senior PMC health official said.

As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), AEFI is any untoward medical occurrence following immunisation which does not necessarily have a causal relationship to the vaccine. The adverse event may be any unfavourable or unintended sign, abnormal laboratory finding, symptom or disease. Minor AEFI include pain, swelling at the injection site, fever, irritability, malaise etc. while severe reactions include non-hospitalised cases of anaphylaxis that have recovered, high fever (more than 102 degrees F) etc. Besides, serious AEFI include death, hospitalisation, persistent or significant disability, AEFI cluster, congenital anomaly and parental/ community/media concern, said officials.

The PMC under the national immunisation programme provides 11 different vaccinations to new born children and two vaccines to expecting mothers. The vaccines include Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG), Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), Measles & Rubella-1, Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Booster, and Tetanus & adult Diphtheria (Td) among others.