Researching Federal Initiatives and Federal Response to Mass Immunizations

PHE4095 Special Topics in Public Health (Week 1 Lecture)

Core Competencies

The Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals were developed by the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice in response to the need for prepared public health professionals entering the workforce after graduation. The Council on Linkages is a coalition of nineteen public health organizations. Their mission is to, “improve public health practice, education, and research by monitoring and building the relationships between academia and public health” (Public Health Foundation [PHF], n.d.).

The members of the council represent agencies such as the American Public Health Association (APHA), Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH), and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). The projects that are undertaken by the council are funded by the CDC and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), with staff support provided by the Public Health Foundation (PHF, n.d.).

Since the budgets in many public health agencies are rather small, there are rarely any funds available for continuing education and extensive training after obtaining a position. The core competencies are a set of desirable skills needed to practice public health, and a large percentage of public health academic institutions are addressing these competencies within their curricula (The Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice, 2010).

Core Competencies—Tiers

The competencies are separated into three different tiers that reflect the skills and competencies that public health professionals may want to have at different stages of their career. The competencies at Tier 1 are designed for entry-level workers, who may not have had any prior experience working in public health; the competencies at Tier 2 are designed for supervisors and managers; and the competencies at Tier 3 are desirable for senior managers and public health leadership roles (PHF, n.d.)

Read and become familiar with these competencies here:

Core Public Health Competencies III

Process of Mass Immunization

In the event of a natural disaster or a man-made disaster involving numerous victims, the potential for disease is high long after the immediate threat has passed. Outbreaks of infectious diseases following hurricanes, floods, and mass casualty events may include tetanus and hepatitis B. Victims are at risk due to unsanitary conditions and contaminated drinking water. If the victim has an open wound after suffering an injury during the event or cleanup, the chances of the wound being infected are also high. Older persons and diabetics are at an increased risk for tetanus (CDC, 2012).

Based on the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published by the CDC (2008), post-exposure intervention for both hepatitis B and tetanus is necessary to protect the public from contracting the disease. The establishment of a mass immunization clinic will allow the greatest number of people to receive vaccinations after a disaster. Depending on the scale of the immunization clinic, the CDC will work with local public health officials to coordinate the clinic and deploy staff as necessary.

CDC Guidelines for Mass Vaccinations

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has established guidelines for local health departments and private organizations, such as medical clinics or hospitals, to facilitate the most efficient and safest delivery of available vaccines. The guidelines are broken down into leadership roles, human resource needs, clinic layout and specifications, crowd management, clinic security, and advertising (CDC, 2011).

Here is a brief description of these guidelines:

· Leadership Roles: Leaders should be designated for clinic operations, communications systems, and clinic management; and team leaders should be designated for supplies, logistics, medical personnel, and support functions.

· Human Resource Needs: Staff should be employed to fill the necessary positions. Multilingual staff should also be available. One should also ensure that the staff takes necessary breaks in a designated area.

· Vaccination Clinic Location: A facility should be selected that is centrally located and is near mass transit. There should be ample parking and enough room for a large crowd in the facility and covered gathering areas outside of the facility.

· Clinic Layout and Specifications: The layout should be designed for unidirectional client flow and should have ropes and signage, client seating, and a private area for clients who may suffer from adverse effects from the vaccination.

· Crowd Management Outside the Clinic: Clients should be directed where to go. In addition, accommodations for clients with disabilities or special needs should be made available.

· Crowd Management Inside of the Clinic: One should communicate with clients. Assist them with completing their forms. In addition, clients should be provided with entertainment materials, such as magazines, newspapers, etc.

· Clinic Security: All staff members should wear identification cards, including the security hired to control the facility and the vaccine storage area.

· Clinic Advertising: Multilingual channels should be used to communicate to the public the details of the clinic and how to schedule appointments.

The above guidelines are simple steps that both public and private organizations can follow and include in their mass vaccination clinic protocols. The guidelines provide best practice suggestions and will contribute to an efficient and safe delivery of mass vaccinations to the public after a disaster.