EPI Add-On Lecture Notes
EPI Add-On Lecture Notes
EPI Add-On Lecture Notes
1. Clean the injection site with alcohol sponge and let skin dry.
2. Secure the child’s arm with your left hand so that your hand is under and your thumb and finger come
around the arm and stretch the skin.
3. Hold the syringe in your right hand with the bevel and the scale pointing up towards you.
4. Lay the syringe and needle almost flat along the child’s arm.
5. Insert the tip of the needle into skin – just the bevel.
6. Keep the needle flat along the skin and the bevel facing upwards, so the vaccine only goes into the upper
layers of the skin.
7. Put your left thumb over the needle end to hold it in position.
8. Hold the plunger between the index and middle fingers of the right hand and slightly push the plunger in
with your right thumb.
9. If the vaccine is injected correctly into the skin, a flat wheal with the surface pitted like an orange peel
will appear at the injection site.
10. Withdraw needle gently.
Reminders:
Note: Any remaining reconstituted vaccine must be discarded after 6 hours or at the end of the
immunization sessions, whichever comes first.
The small raised lump appears at the injection site, usually disappears within 30 minutes. After 2 weeks,
a red sore forms that is about the size of the end of an unsharpened pencil.
The sore remains for another two weeks and then heals, a small scar, about 5mm across remains.
This is a sign that the child has been effectively immunized.
Repeat BCG vaccination if the child does not develop a scar after the 1st injection, BCG vaccine is
moderately effective.
It has a protective efficacy of: 50 % against any TB disease 64 % against TB meningitis 74 % against death
from TB
1. Instruct mother to hold the child across her knees so that her thigh is facing upwards.
2. Ask her to hold child’s leg.
3. Clean the skin with alcohol sponge and let skin dry.
4. Grasp the injection site with your thumb and index finger.
5. Quickly push the needle, going deep in to the muscle.
6. Slightly pull the needle back to be sure it is not into a vein.
7. Inject the vaccine, withdraw the needle and press the injection spot quickly with a piece of
cotton.
1. Instruct mother to hold the child across her knees so that her thigh is facing upwards.
2. Ask her to hold child’s leg.
3. Clean the skin with alcohol sponge and let skin dry.
4. Grasp the injection site with your thumb and index finger.
5. Quickly push the needle, going deep in to the muscle.
6. Slightly pull the needle back to be sure it is not into a vein.
7. Inject the vaccine, withdraw the needle and press the injection spot quickly
with a piece of cotton.