Vaccinator

Medair is an international humanitarian organization established in 1988. Medair has been operating in Afghanistan since 1996 with programs mainly in the Health, Water & Sanitation, and Livelihoods sectors with significant reconstruction activities in remote areas. Current projects are Water & Sanitation, Food Security, & Disaster Risk Reduction.

An Integrated Emergency Response: Medair aims to respond to high levels of food insecurity, malnutrition, and morbidity in Tirinkot district.  The project intends to improve and extend WASH services including water supply infrastructure and hygiene practices to improve outcomes for vulnerable families.

An Integrated Emergency Response: Medair aims to respond to high levels of food insecurity, malnutrition, and morbidity in Uruzgan, which has been significantly affected by drought and conflict conditions. Building upon Medair’s decades of experience in the Central Highlands and Kandahar, the project intends to improve and extend the utilization of lifesaving preventive and curative nutrition and health services by mothers, PLWs, and children U5; to increase access to clean water, to reduce vulnerability to water-related and other preventable diseases, and to improve and increase food security for the most vulnerable families through food voucher distributions.

Overall purpose

To serve as a member of the Basic Health Centre (BHC) team by providing high-quality routine immunization services at outreach sites and within communities across the catchment area. The Vaccinator is responsible for conducting vaccination sessions in accordance with national EPI guidelines, identifying and tracing zero-dose, under-immunized, and dropout children, maintaining vaccine cold chain and reporting systems, and promoting community awareness and acceptance of immunization services. Working closely with female vaccinators, CHNVs, community leaders, and health facility staff, the role contributes to increasing routine immunization coverage, reducing vaccine dropout rates, strengthening disease prevention efforts, and supporting integrated primary health care services through outreach activities.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide routine immunization services at outreach sites and within communities in accordance with National EPI guidelines, Medair protocols, and established vaccination schedules.
• Plan and conduct outreach vaccination sessions in villages/mosques and hard-to-reach areas, ensuring eligible children and pregnant women have access to immunization services.
• Identify, trace, and follow up zero-dose, under-immunized, and dropout children through household visits, review of EPI records, and coordination with community structures.
• Ensure proper vaccine stock management, cold chain maintenance, temperature monitoring, safe injection practices, and appropriate disposal of medical waste according to EPI standards.
• Coordinate with Community Health Nutrition Volunteers (CHNVs), Community Health Supervisors (CHSs), community leaders, religious leaders, and Health Shuras to promote immunization uptake and reduce vaccine hesitancy.
• Maintain accurate vaccination records, tally sheets, registers, and reporting tools, and submit timely daily and monthly reports to the Health Facility Supervisor.
• Monitor and report missed children, vaccine refusals, migration-related defaulters, vaccine wastage, and other challenges affecting immunization coverage, providing recommendations for improvement.
• Support integrated outreach activities alongside nutrition, maternal, newborn, and child health services, including referral of children and pregnant women requiring additional health services.
• Participate in supplementary immunization activities, polio campaigns, outbreak response activities, and other public health interventions as assigned by the line manager.
• Ensure all outreach activities are implemented in accordance with national guidelines, organizational protocols, accountability standards, and infection prevention and control measures.
• Undertake any other duties relevant to the role as assigned by the Line Manager

MAIN ACTIVITIES

Outreach Vaccination Responsibilities:

• Conduct routine immunization and vaccination activities at outreach sites and within communities in accordance with National EPI guidelines.
• Plan and implement outreach vaccination sessions according to the approved micro-plan and schedule.
• Identify, register, trace, and follow up zero-dose, under-immunized, and dropout children to ensure completion of the vaccination schedule.
• Conduct household visits and community mapping to identify eligible children under one year of age and pregnant women requiring immunization services.
• Participate in Polio campaigns, supplementary immunization activities, outbreak response interventions, and other national immunization initiatives as assigned by the LM.
• Provide health education and counselling to caregivers and community members on the importance of immunization, vaccine schedules, and vaccine-preventable diseases.

·       Quality management:

•         Ensure all vaccination activities are conducted according to National EPI standards, safe injection practices, and infection prevention and control procedures.
•         Maintain accurate vaccination records, tally sheets, registers, and beneficiary tracking tools.
•         Monitor vaccination coverage, missed children, defaulters, vaccine refusals, and other barriers affecting immunization uptake.
•         Submit timely and accurate daily, and monthly reports to the supervisor.
•         Participate in quality improvement activities to strengthen immunization services.

External representation:

• Work closely with CHNVs, CHSs, Health Shuras, community leaders, and religious leaders to improve awareness and acceptance of immunization services.
• Mobilize communities prior to outreach sessions to maximize attendance and vaccination coverage.
• Support identification and referral of children and pregnant women requiring additional health, nutrition, or maternal services.
• Provide feedback to the Health Facility Supervisor and Health & Nutrition Manager regarding community-specific challenges, vaccine hesitancy, and barriers to access.

Logistics and Cold Chain Management:

• Ensure proper storage, requests, transportation, handling, and use of vaccines in accordance with cold chain requirements.
• Monitor and record vaccine temperatures and maintain vaccine carriers and cold chain equipment during outreach activities.
• Prepare vaccine and supply requests and coordinate with the Facility Supervisor to ensure uninterrupted availability of vaccines, syringes, safety boxes, and related supplies.
• Minimize vaccine wastage and ensure proper disposal of used syringes and safety boxes according to EPI and IPC guidelines.
• Monitor stock levels and report shortages, damages, or expired vaccines and supplies in a timely manner.
• Support to receive vaccines from PEMT and supply to the BHC as requested by the supervisor.

Education:

• Minimum 2 years diploma in Nursing with Exit Exam passed, along EPI vaccination initial training certificate is required, bachelor's and master's degree preferred. 
• Training in cold chain management, vaccine-preventable diseases, or community health is desirable.
• Training in IPC (Infection Prevention and Control) is desirable.
• Training in community mobilization is desirable.

Relevant experience and skills:

• Minimum 2 years of relevant experience in vaccination, immunization and EPI is required.
• Experience of conducting routine immunization activities and outreach vaccination sessions.
• Experience of maintaining vaccination records, tally sheets, and EPI reporting tools.
• Motorbike riding experience; a minimum of 2 years
• Experience of implementing BPHS/PHC/EPI programmes.
• Experience of tracing defaulters and zero-dose children.
• Experience of working with an international NGO or humanitarian organization.
• Experience of working in remote or hard-to-reach communities.
• Valid motorbike license is needed.

Languages: Pashto/Dari oral and written skills and Good command of English is required. Good English oral and written skills is desirable.

Computer: Knowledge of MS Excel, MS Word and ODK is required. Basic knowledge of MS Word and MS Excel is desirable.

Organizational capacity:

• Ability to plan and organize outreach sessions effectively. 
• Ability to maintain accurate records and reporting systems.
• Ability to manage vaccines and supplies in an organized manner.
• Experience in micro-planning and outreach scheduling.

Team building: 

• Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Willingness to support colleagues during outreach and campaign activities.

Adaptability: 

• Ability to work under pressure and in challenging field conditions.
• Willingness to travel frequently within the catchment area.

Problem solving & initiative: 

• Ability to identify missed children and barriers to immunization and propose practical solutions.
• Proactive approach to improving vaccination coverage.

Character:

• Respectful attitude towards colleagues, beneficiaries, and community members.
• Honest and dependable, with strong anti-fraud principles and a high level of integrity.
• Flexible and committed to serving vulnerable populations.

Communication skills: 

• Good interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to communicate immunization messages effectively and maintains clear and timely communication with supervisors and team members.

Interested applicants should apply and forward their applications through the online JOB APPLICATION FORM which can be found under the submission email. The link should be copied, pasted, and opened on a new page.

Note: Please indicate the position title and vacancy number in your application letter. Applications received after the closing date or without the exact position title and vacancy number will not be given consideration. After submitting the online application, if some applicants do not immediately receive an automatic email from Medair, they shouldn't worry about their submission. When you open the link. please use the dropdown menu and choose the title of the position.