KYRGYZSTAN

Kyrgyzstan joined PIVI in 2017, receiving vaccine for 105,000 people that same year. Kyrgyzstan completed a sustainability plan the following summer and distributed  70,000 PIVI-supplied doses in 2018-19.

In 2017, the Ministry of Health in Kyrgyzstan worked with PIVI to plan a comprehensive train-the-trainer training for epidemiologists and immunologists/vaccinators (three staff per district), with support from the WHO country office and World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO EURO). Two two-day trainings took place, one each in the North and South of the country. They provided an overview of the influenza virus and how the vaccine protects against it. The training also included instructions for administering the multi-dose influenza vaccine, best practices for reporting any adverse events following vaccination, and vaccine storage and waste management. This was the first time they had a training specific to influenza and influenza vaccination. 110 healthcare workers were trained and received certificates, valid for two years, upon completion.

In 2018, Kyrgyzstan conducted a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) study among healthcare workers, pregnant women, and chronic disease patients. They adapted the PIVI KAP protocol and questionnaires, and working with Kyrgyz epidemiologists (trained through the Field Epidemiology Training Program – FETP) to conduct the KAP.

In January 2020 they completed NITAG training and are working on completing their economic burden study. They are interested in conducting a cost effectiveness study in the future.