Flu: PAMI Failed To Vaccinate Even 50% of Their At Risk Members
<p>It happened even though the WHO recommended immunizing at least half of the "target population". A report by the AGN says the purchase of vaccines in 2005 by an "internal debate" about how many doses they had to ask for delayed the process. Finally, 900,000 were acquired for a roster of more than 2 million, and the campaign began almost two months later than planned.</p>
A report from the General Audit Office (AGN, for its acronym in Spanish) said that, in 2005-2006, PAMI did not reach the overall goals of influenza vaccination campaign. The Institute had proposed to immunize at least 50% of the members that make up what is known as "population target", i.e., those most likely to contract influenza, following recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) but, by "delays in processing purchase" of vaccines, they did not get to even half of the population at risk.
Among these delays, the Watchdog notes that there were "internal discussions on the number of doses to acquire." It is that, in principle, the Epidemiology and Prevention Area of PAMI recommended buying some 2,310,304 vaccines for the campaign 2005 -a little more than the total target population-, but finally decided to follow the suggestion of the WHO and ordered 1.2 million units. Beyond the debate, the Institute wanted to have the stock before March 1st and yet the operation lasted more because the order made by the Epidemiology area was "insufficient", they were missing, among other things, the definition of strains in the southern hemisphere, the period in which they were to be delivered, the vaccine distribution box in each Local Management Unit -in the provinces- and the many types of bottles, single dose or multiple dose.
After everything that happened, PAMI could only buy 900,000 and applied 863,359 vaccines and, when half of the target population was 1,112,652 members. In addition, it started its campaign on April 20, nearly two months later than anticipated.
The audit report, approved this year, says that "while in the 2006 campaign, PAMI improved vaccination coverage; it also reached the minimum goals suggested by the WHO". Another objective was not fulfilled, which was to monitor the implementation and outcome of the plan by "loading computer system online by intranet". In fact, in January 2007, it had been charged only 16.07% of all data concerning vaccines given, and the delay was greater in larger units and Local Management: In the Capital, for example, charging It was 3.67%. In the same branch, the AGN detected that "Epidemiology, Local campaigner, area lacked computers."
Moreover, in none of the two periods analyzed, 2005 and 2006, PAMI took "concrete actions surveillance and measurement of the impact" of their campaigns.