INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF AFRICA
MASTERS OF PUBLIC HEALTH (MPH)
Immunization
By: Ahmed Abdulgadir Mohammed Hassan Noureddin
University ID: 513890641
Immunization is the most effective and economic public health measure to improve the health of
both children and adults. Is a very successful and cost-effective means of preventing infectious
diseases. It is a process of inducing immunity actively by giving Ag, or passively by
administration of Antibodies.
EPI: This is the Expanded Program of Immunization. It is a preventive health program adopted
by the WHO and implemented in many countries including Sudan.
EPI Aims: Immunization against the 7 target diseases in the first year of life. Vaccination of women
with tetanus toxoid to protect mothers against tetanus and newborns against neonatal tetanus.
Vaccine Types:
1. Inactivated vaccines: use the killed version of the germ that causes a disease. E.g.
Hepatitis A, and rabies.
2. Live-attenuated vaccines: use a weakened (or attenuated) form of the germ that causes a
disease. E.g. Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR combined vaccine), Rotavirus, and
Smallpox.
3. Messenger RNA vaccines: mRNA vaccines make proteins in order to trigger an immune
response. mRNA vaccines have several benefits compared to other types of vaccines,
including shorter manufacturing times and, because they do not contain a live virus, no
risk of causing disease in the person getting vaccinated. E.g. Covid-19 (Pfizer-Biontech).
4. Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide, and conjugate vaccines: use specific pieces of
the germ—like its protein, sugar, or capsid (a casing around the germ). E.g. Whooping
cough (part of the DTaP combined vaccine), Pneumococcal disease, and Meningococcal
disease.
5. Toxoid vaccines use a toxin (harmful product) made by the germ that causes a disease.
E.g. Diphtheria, Tetanus.
6. Viral vector vaccines: use a modified version of a different virus as a vector to deliver
protection. Several different viruses have been used as vectors, including influenza,
measles virus, and adenovirus, which cause the common cold. Adenovirus is the one in
COVID-19 vaccines. Viral vector vaccines are used to protect against Covid-19 (Oxford-
AstraZeneca).
Oral and injectable polio vaccine
Oral polio vaccine
The oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is used in many countries to protect against polio
disease and has been essential to the eradication effort. There are different types of oral
poliovirus vaccine which may contain one, a combination of two, or all three different
types of attenuated, or weakened, vaccines. Each has its own advantages and
disadvantages over the others.
After wild poliovirus type 2 was declared eradicated in 2015, the world switched from
trivalent to bivalent OPV (bOPV). Trivalent OPV contains all three types of poliovirus,
while bOPV only contains poliovirus types 1 and 3. This switch means that OPV no
longer protects against WPV2.
Though rare, when there is insufficient coverage in a community, the vaccine-virus may
be able to circulate, mutate, and over the course of 12 to 18 months, cause paralysis.
Inactivated poliovirus vaccine
Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) protects people against all three types of poliovirus.
IPV does not contain a live virus, so people who receive this vaccine do not shed the
virus and cannot infect others, and the vaccine cannot cause disease. IPV does not stop
the transmission of the virus. OPV is used wherever a polio outbreak needs to be
contained, even in countries that rely exclusively on IPV for their routine immunization
program. Once polio has been eradicated, the use of all OPV will need to be stopped to
prevent the re-establishment of transmission due to VDPVs. Countries that use bOPV
have added a single dose of IPV to protect against WPV2.
Immunization schedule in Sudan:
Disease Causative Vaccine Doses Age of administration
agent
Childhood TB Bacteria BCG 1 Soon after birth
Poliomyelitis Virus OPV 4 OPV0: soon after birth
OPV1: 6 weeks
OPV2: 10 weeks
OPV3: 14 weeks
IPV 1 IPV-I: 14 weeks
Diphtheria Bacteria Pentavalent 3 Penta1: 6 weeks
vaccine
Tetanus Bacteria Penta2: 10 weeks
(DTP+Hep B +
Pertussis Bacteria Hib) Penta3: 14 weeks
Hepatitis B Virus
Hib pneumonia and Bacteria
meningitis
Measles Virus Measles 2 Measles1: 9 months
Measles2: 15months
Diarrhoea due to rotavirus Virus *Rotavirus 2 Rota 1: 6 weeks
Rota 2: 10 weeks
Covid-19 Vaccines:
1. Pfizer-BioNTech
Type of vaccine: Messenger RNA, or mRNA, a genetic material that tells your body how to
make proteins that triggers an immune response inside our bodies
Effectiveness: 95% based on clinical trials.
Common side effects: Pain and/or swelling in the arm and tiredness, headache, muscle pain,
chills, fever, or nausea in the body that may last two days
Recommended Ages: 16 and older (currently testing the vaccine in kids ages 12-15)
Dosage: Two shots, 21 days apart
2. Moderna
Type of vaccine: Messenger RNA, or mRNA, a genetic material that tells your body how to
make proteins that triggers an immune response inside our bodies.
Effectiveness: 94.1% based on clinical trials
Common side effects: Pain and/or swelling in the arm and tiredness, headache, muscle pain,
chills, fever, or nausea in the body that may last two days.
Recommended Ages: 18 years and older (currently testing the vaccine in kids ages 12-17)
Dosage: Two shots, 28 days apart
3. Johnson & Johnson
Type of vaccine: A viral vector, uses a harmless version of a different virus, called a “vector,” to
deliver information to the body that helps it protect you.
Effectiveness: 66.3% effective in clinical trials
Common side effects: Pain and/or swelling in the arm and tiredness, headache, muscle pain,
chills, fever, or nausea in the body.
Recommended Ages: 18 years and older
Dosage: One-shot
4. Oxford-AstraZeneca
Type of vaccine: A viral vector, uses a harmless version of a different virus, called a “vector,” to
deliver information to the body that helps it protect you.
Effectiveness: 76% effective in clinical trials.
Recommended Ages: 18 years and older.
Dosage: Two shots, 1—3 months apart.
5. Sinopharm
Type of vaccine: is an inactivated vaccine made of virus particles grown in culture and lack
disease-producing capability.
Effectiveness: 79% effective in clinical trials.
Recommended Ages: 18 years and older.
Dosage: 2 doses, administered at an interval of 21 days
