Sligo hosts annual National Immunisation Conferences Series
The National Immunisation Office team and the General Practice Nursing Co-ordinators who planned and delivered the conference series together with CH CDLMS senior managers and speakers at the conference.
SLIGO was the latest venue to host the National Immunisation Conference Series which took place on Thursday, March 14.
Presented by the National Immunisation Office, together with the Professional Development Co-ordinators for General Practice Nursing, each conference addresses current topics in relation to the Primary Childhood Immunisation Programme (PCIP). All healthcare staff delivering the Primary Childhood and Seasonal Immunisation programmes were invited to attend the in-person only event.
The conference was planned to support professional knowledge and enhance skills and competency of staff in all healthcare settings who are involved in the promotion and delivery of national immunisation office vaccination programmes. These include PCIP and seasonal programmes at a time when vaccine uptake is declining, and outbreaks are happening.
Topics discussed on the day included Professional Practice Considerations, Medicine protocols, Current National Immunisation
Schedule - forthcoming changes, storage and handling and cold chain management.
The PCIP catch-up- programme and catch up vaccination for refugees and applicants seeking protection were also discussed.
Improving uptake - vaccine hesitancy, addressing declining numbers/defaulters and parental information also formed discussions on the day
Attendees included staff from the National Immunisation Office, Public Health Department, General Practice GPs and GP nurses, Primary Care Community Medical Doctors, Public Health Nurses, Community Vaccination Centres, Older Persons Service and HSE Occupational Health.
Dr Áine McNamara, Area Director of Public Health, HSE West and North West, said: “This was a wonderful educational opportunity for those central to the delivery of our immunisation programmes. It brought healthcare workers together to discuss the importance of the Primary Childhood Immunisation Programme. With the roll out of the MMR catch-up
programme next week, it was a very timely and useful event.”
Kathy Taaffe, General Practice Nursing Co-ordinator, CH CDLMS, said: “The Professional Development Coordinators for General Practice Nursing are delighted to have had the full support and commitment of the National Immunisation Office and our Primary Care and Health and Wellbeing offices to plan and deliver this conference series in four areas around the country. We have been humbled by the huge attendance at each event, over 800 across the four venues, and the enthusiastic engagement from the many healthcare personnel who are involved daily in managing and delivering these vital immunisation programmes.
“This education has proven timely in light of the emerging threat of measles. It has provided the most up to date, evidence-based knowledge for healthcare practitioners to support them and enhance their competency and skills in clinical practice whilst working towards achieving the desired vaccine uptake rates for all the vaccine preventable diseases.”