6.4 Schedules | MSF Medical Guidelines

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6.4.1 Vaccination schedule by location

The vaccination schedule by location provides a prioritised timetable of activities. The various planning steps for the campaign are done concurrently.

Table 6.2: Steps in planning a vaccination campaign

Step	Information needed	Take into account
Estimate the target population to be vaccinated for each location	Number of people to be vaccinated Vaccine quantity and volume	Towns/cantons Health care facilities
Estimate the time needed to vaccinate the target population in each location (Appendix 28)	Optimal duration of vaccination Number of days scheduled to achieve vaccination coverage + safety margin (rest breaks, unforeseen events, etc.)	Expected team output in urban and rural areas Previous experience Accessibility and security
Estimate the number of teams needed and available	Number of teams Composition of teams Discuss regular staff and people who will be hired locally.	Available personnel, qualifications and previous campaign experience Job descriptions
Determine the number of vaccination sites and where they will be located	Target population to be vaccinated for each location Population density Size of the area covered Accessibility of the site	Acceptability to the population Access roads, distance and estimated travel time
Discuss the different strategies and choose the most appropriate ones	List the different approaches (a) Citation a. For example, vaccinate urban area first and then rural, all locations at the same time or one after then other, northern and then southern area, etc. , identifying the advantages and disadvantages.	Logistical, human and financial resources Security
Set up the schedule	Strategy chosen For each location: duration of the vaccination, number of teams, number and location of sites	Reasonable duration Order delivery time to the field Constraints and degree of urgency

Copy the essential information (target population, duration, number of teams, number of sites, etc.) onto a map of the region.

Other information to consider:

order delivery time and campaign implementation time;
events (market days, public holidays, elections, food distributions, etc.);
security: road travel times, authorisation;
available resources (material and financial).

The campaign should be done quickly, but always allow extra time for unexpected events and rest time for the teams. Allow a one-day break between vaccination locations for taking stock (equipment and results); during this time the logistics team prepares the equipment and next sites, and public information begins. Consider previous experiences.

The schedule can be adjusted each week depending on:

the results of the vaccination (e.g., if the coverage obtained is < 80%, consider extending the campaign with a limited number of teams;
the updated epidemiological data (epidemic curve);
any other new developments (security, lack of availability of a team, very bad weather, etc.).

6.4.2 Team schedules

See Appendix 17.

The daily team schedule is drawn up based on the vaccination schedule by location. It details the location, site and duration and is used for:

organising team preparation and training;
preparing the cold chain, transport, site preparation and set-up, and supply for the teams at the sites;
planning public information.

(a)For example, vaccinate urban area first and then rural, all locations at the same time or one after then other, northern and then southern area, etc.