Ensuring continuation of vaccination services in Uzbekistan by providing PPE to health workers

New international research suggests that every additional COVID-19 death prevented by suspending routine vaccinations could result in 84 deaths in children from vaccine-preventable diseases. To safeguard Uzbekistan’s vaccination programme and preserve the health of both vaccinators and the public, UNICEF is working with international partners and the Government to provide supplies, including personal protective equipment, for front line health workers.

Nasiba Tairova is an Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI) manager from the Centre of Sanitary and Epidemiologic wellbeing in Tashkent region. She warns, “We should all be aware that interruptions to vaccination may lead to the return of many dangerous and already forgotten diseases for children and adults. Despite the quarantine, we cannot and should not suspend routine vaccination. Both healthcare providers and parents must take measures to make vaccination visits safe.”

Vazira Mutalova, an EPI manager from the Centre of Sanitary Epidemiological in Tashkent City explains why ensuring a continuous supply of PPE is so important: “The vaccination service could stop if a supply of PPE was not available. This could affect the health home visiting system, vaccine supply, supportive supervision and monitoring.”

Despite the pandemic, Ministry of Health made efforts to ensure continuation of immunization services in the Country.  In Tashkent City, under quarantine conditions, polyclinics are currently immunizing children up to three times a week. In the regions, fortnightly vaccinations are taking place. All vaccination points throughout the country follow special pandemic precautions designed by the Ministry of Health. These include strict scheduling of immunizations within hourly slots, limiting numbers, and social distancing to prevent transmission of infection.  Body temperature is measured at the entrance to the polyclinic. The vaccination nurse and doctor wear special protective gowns, masks and gloves and treat their hands with disinfectants.

To prevent any dangerous disruption of the immunization schedule, UNICEF, with the support of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI) has procured and delivered personal protective equipment to sanitary and epidemiological wellbeing centres in every region of the country. In total, 820,000 boxes of disposable masks, 25,000 boxes of medical gloves, 8,000 gowns and caps, 4000 litres of hand sanitizer and 130 kgs of disinfectant powder were handed over. As a result, more than 4,000 health workers including 3,000 vaccinators from primary health facilities are now equipped to keep both themselves and their patients safe.

“We should all be aware that interruptions to vaccination may lead to the return of many dangerous and already forgotten diseases for children and adults”.

Thanks to the combined efforts of the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, WHO, and GAVI, cold chain equipment optimisation platforms that ensure safe vaccination are already in place in Uzbekistan.

“UNICEF has supported the construction of cold chain stores for vaccines, the purchase of refrigeration equipment and has given assistance on conducting supportive supervision; this has contributed to a significant improvement to immunization services,” says Nasiba. Vazira confirms, “Because of the cold chain and the newly constructed warehouses, we can ensure quality vaccination services”.

The health benefits of continuing routine immunisation far outweigh those of stopping vaccinations to halt the spread of COVID-19; UNICEF is committed to supporting the hard work of the Government and the health services to protect the country’s children, both from diseases that are preventable by vaccination, and from infection with COVID-19.