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A variety of skills are needed to roll out a successful vaccination program, including:
Volunteer Coordinator: Oversees volunteer activity at the clinic site. Assists the clinic manager in making duty assignments of volunteer staff; maintains roster of persons available for volunteer duty; and maintains a schedule of times that volunteers will be available to work.
Greeter-Educators: Greet and conduct initial orientation of potential vaccine recipients upon their arrival; provide basic information about the vaccine and the vaccination process; distribute informational materials and clinic documents; explain how to complete the documents and answers questions. Must be able to explain the purpose of receiving the vaccine, outline the vaccination clinic process, and distribute and explain the clinic documents to vaccine recipients individually and in groups.
Registration Staff: Review each vaccine recipient's documents for completeness and accuracy; assist clients with completing documents. Must be familiar with each form that is distributed. They must be able to follow instructions on how to respond to exceptional situations such as non-English speaking patients or patients who are anxious, hostile, or disoriented. If the form has not been completed correctly or completely, registration staff must be able to address and correct these problems. They should be prepared to read the forms to illiterate or semiliterate persons needing their assistance.
Forms Collectors: Verify that forms are correctly completed; collect all necessary forms from recipients before departure. Responsible for checking that the vaccination team has signed the clinic record and entered the lot numbers on the appropriate documents. As the last staff to have contact with vaccine recipients, the forms collector must have the ability to ensure a response by the appropriate staff to any remaining concerns that clients may have.
Clinic Flow Controllers: Direct vaccine recipients through the clinic process and monitor clinic flow. Responsible for continuously monitoring and directing client activity throughout the facility. They must be able to calmly manage and assist people who may be anxious and unable to follow directions. When congestion (backlog) is noted, flow controllers determine if staff at other locations are less busy and request assistance in the congested area. They are also responsible for feeding back information about the number and rate of "upstream" clients to the vaccination assistants to enable them to maximize use of all vaccine doses in opened vaccine vials. Flow controllers may be in a position to provide early alert of situations that that may require additional security personnel.
Security Staff: Ensure an orderly flow of traffic and parking at the clinic site; assist in maintaining orderly movement of vaccine recipients through the clinic process; provide necessary control if persons become unruly; assist supply officer in maintaining security of vaccines and other clinic supplies. Can be off-duty law enforcement officers, professional security personnel and/or volunteers who are experienced and trained in crowd control.
Emergency Medical Personnel: Emergency personnel must be able to respond to medical emergencies, including reactions ranging from the minor to anaphylactic shock and serious medical emergencies that are incidental and unrelated to vaccination but can be expected to occur whenever large groups of people congregate.
Medical Screeners: Assess clients for contraindications to vaccination; when necessary perform physical examination of patients who state that they have dermatological conditions that may constitute contraindications; and answer medical questions. This role should be filled by a physician, nurse or paraprofessional who has good interviewing skills and is well-versed in the technical information regarding exposure risks, medical contraindications to vaccination, risks of vaccination, and risk-benefit analysis. Medical screeners will review the list of normal or expected reactions to the vaccine with each vaccine recipient. If necessary, medical screening personnel will contact a designated physician consultant to assist in making a final decision about whether or not to vaccinate. If the vaccine is still on Investigational New Drug status, medical screening personnel should ensure that the consent form has been read, understood and signed by each potential vaccine recipient and ask vaccine recipients to sign the consent form.
Vaccination Assistants: Assist the vaccine administrator with all aspects of pre- and post- vaccination activities; prepare vaccine with diluent, ensure that vaccination station maintains adequate supplies; instruct recipients on location of vaccination; assist vaccine recipients in preparing the vaccination site; instructs clients about care and changing of the dressing. Must have a thorough understanding of the vaccination process and the necessary supplies, proper technique for reconstituting the vaccine with diluent, proper care and handling of vaccine in the clinic, how to disinfect contaminated surfaces and dispose of soiled materials. Vaccination assistants are also responsible for entering the vaccine and diluent lot numbers on the patient's consent form and clinic record and providing the vaccine recipient with vaccination card that documents when and where the vaccine was administered.
Vaccine Administrators: Oversee the vaccination process; administer the vaccine; sign the clinic record; observe vaccine recipients for immediate reaction or complications. Can be nurses, physicians, or designated paraprofessionals who have received technical training in administration of smallpox vaccine. Vaccinators must have the ability to quickly develop a high level of skill in vaccinating with a bifurcated needle. They must have in-depth understanding of proper vaccination techniques, methods to prevent contamination of the vaccine, exposure risks, the medical conditions that constitute contraindications for vaccinations, the risks of vaccination, preparation of the vaccination site, normal and abnormal post vaccination responses, and proper follow-up care of the vaccination site. Vaccinators must also be prepared to respond to medical emergencies that may occur within the vaccination area. |