Quality Immunization Services: A Planning Guide

"It is no longer enough for services to be available or accessible: vaccination services must be of sufficient quality to respond to the needs of the local communities they serve, building relationships of trust to generate resilient demand and sustain equitable coverage."

Vaccine uptake depends on the quality of essential health services delivered throughout the life course. From the World Health Organization (WHO), this guide aims to support the implementation of high-quality immunisation services at all levels by offering clear, actionable steps to assess and systematically make high-quality immunisation services possible across the life course.

According to WHO, benefits of strengthening immunisation service quality include enhanced health service and system performance, improved vaccination coverage and efficiency, and more equitable access to services to reduce gaps for disadvantaged populations. In that vein, the guide reinforces the importance of quality vaccination services and highlights key actions at different levels of the health system to monitor, strengthen, and maintain the quality and convenience of services.

The resource starts from the directive that quality considerations must be incorporated into the planning and delivery of the national immunisation programme or be a part of setting a national strategic direction on quality. Quality immunisation services are: effective; safe; people-centred (e.g., respectful and compassionate services); timely; equitable; integrated; and efficient. Notably, quality immunisation services require a strong focus on empowering and engaging people - patients, families, communities, and the health workforce. Thus, to improve demand and ensure trust in immunisation services, families and communities should be engaged in planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of these services.

After introducing such concepts in the background section, the guide explores how national programmes should deliver quality immunisation services - covering these topics:

• Incorporating quality considerations into immunisation at multiple levels
• Ensuring equitable access to quality immunisation services
• Using data to drive action on the quality of immunisation services

Annexes focus on: quality immunisation services and primary health care; key tools and resources; and quality considerations in immunisation services for COVID-19 vaccines.