Evaluating the Immunization Program in UAE: Methods and Strategies

This report provides an overview of the Immunization Program in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), focusing on the methods used to measure vaccination coverage and the phased implementation of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination program. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of register-based (electronic) and routine reports of vaccination delivery methods. The report highlights the UAE's initiative in November 2015 to eradicate measles by providing free MMR vaccines to students aged 1 to 18, in partnership with the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD) and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). It also touches on the safety and cost-effectiveness of the MMR vaccine, referencing examples from other countries like Malawi. The document concludes by emphasizing the benefits of immunization, including saving lives, ensuring safety, and protecting future generations, citing various sources and publications to support its analysis.

Running Head: IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM IN UAE 0
Immunization Program

IMMUNIZIATION PROGRAM IN UAE 1
Methods to measure vaccination coverage
There are two types of methods used to determine vaccination such as routine reports of
vaccination delivered, and register based (Cutts, Izurieta, & Rhoda, 2013).
Register based (electronic) method
Advantages
• It can provide complete real- data on vaccination coverage of a particular person and
populations.
• It is used to fix an appointment and recalls.
• It is used to control vaccine stock and ordering.
• It reduced time participate on a paper register that is used for low income.
• It provides Electronic data access to home vaccination.
• It is used to provide data at a peripheral level (National Centre for biotechnology
information, 2016).
Disadvantages
• Routine reports of vaccination need a good computer system to access data
• It required a proper birth registry for a denominator
• It require a unique identify for a particular person
• It follows complete procedures to identify any duplicate record
• For locally, difficult to track vaccination coverage of migrants
• It follows procedures to avoid losing data
• It requires funding for proper maintenance
• If vaccination held nationally than feedback process may be slow (National Centre for
biotechnology information, 2016).
Routine reports of vaccination delivered
Advantages
 The main advantage of routine reports of vaccination is that it allows continuous information
to access data.
 It is used by workers and people to find missed opportunities
• It can be used for multiple health programmes (National Centre for biotechnology
information, 2016).
Disadvantages
 The main disadvantage of this method is that it does not provide a report of private sector
 Transcription error for each health system
 In SIAs, report gives inflated estimates v data due to a short time
• Population denominators often inaccurate for local level (National Centre for biotechnology
information, 2016).

IMMUNIZIATION PROGRAM IN UAE 2
Phased vaccination program
On November 2015, many of students across UAE will be given the MMR vaccine as a part of
a campaign to eradicate measles, MMR is defined as Measles, mumps, and rubella. All students in
UAE instructed by the government to provide free vaccine to all students whose age from 1 to 18.
This program was conducted in partnership with HAAD (health authority of Abu Dhabi) and DHA
(Dubai health authority). The health minister in the UAE discovered an immunization campaign to
rood out measles from the UAE. The main aim of this program is to build a strong immunity against
measles (Dubai health authority, 2015). Measles is a highly infectious caused by measles virus, which
effects on children and adult person. These diseases are related to flue, cough, coryza, fever, and
rashes (Dubai moms, 2015).
MMR is a type of injection that immunizes on three infections such as measles, mumps, and
rubella. These are the most infection that spread from one person to another by air from sneezing.
At the time of UAE immunization, the first MMR is given at age of 15th months; it can also be given
to children and adult person. The DHA has called for UAE community to participate in the success of
the measles campaign to support the disease from UAE (Expat woman, 2017). The MMR is a type of
vaccine that is grown in chicken and it contains traces that are harmful to children. MOH is providing
an MMR dose to avoid this disease problem from children. According to Dr. Laila Al Jasmi, the MMR
is safe and it will be available during immunization program and aim of this vaccine is to improve the
immunity and avoid disease from UAE. The total cost to implement vaccine in Malawi is US$ 18.5
million over a 5-year period, which means around US$ 5.8 per child in the birth. There are many
benefits of immunization such as it can save a life, very safe, more effective, protect from other
diseases, and protect future generation (Gulf news, 2015).

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References
Cutts, F. T., Izurieta, H. S., & Rhoda, D. A. (2013). Measuring coverage in MNCH: design,
implementation, and interpretation challenges associated with tracking vaccination
coverage using household surveys. PLoS Med, 10(5), 1-3.
Dubai health authority (2015). Immunization guideline. Retrieved from:
https://www.dha.gov.ae/Documents/Regulations/Guidelines/Immunization
%20Guidelines.pdf
Dubai moms (2015). Mandatory Measles Vaccination in UAE for all School Children. Retrieved from:
http://dubaimoms.com/mandatory-measles-vaccination-in-uae-for-all-school-
children
Expat woman (2017). Vaccination Schedule in the UAE: A Complete Guide. Retrieved from:
https://www.expatwoman.com/ewmums/en/mums-uae/uae-mums/vaccination-
schedule-uae-complete-guide
Gulf news (2015). UAE schoolchildren to get measles vaccination. Retrieved from:
https://gulfnews.com/news/uae/health/uae-schoolchildren-to-get-measles-
vaccination-1.1598882
National Center for biotechnology information (2016). Monitoring vaccination coverage: Defining the
role of surveys. Retrieved from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4967442/