IPNews-Monrovia,Liberia-31 May 2018: The Expanded Program on Immunization within the Ministry of Health has begun a four-day review meeting in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.

A release said the meeting aims to take stock of progress and work out prospect for the strengthening of immunization activities.

The release quoting the Ministry of Health Communication Director Sorbor George indicates that the ongoing review meeting will look at issues of dropout rate, where vaccinators could not achieve the targeted number of children during campaigns.

The meeting will also look at issues of some vaccinations not on government payroll, logistical problems, and cold chain constraints, among others.

The EPI quarterly review meeting comes amidst sporadic outbreaks of messiest in some parts of the country.

It brings together County Health Officers, other stakeholders including the Legislature and development partners, among others.

The release said participants are doing a critical analysis of reports from the 15 counties attending the meeting.

The EPI review meetings take place annually after every three months to assess immunization activities for effective and smooth operations.

In remarks, the Program Manager of the EPI Adolphus Clarke urged the counties to ensure timely and effective communication of issues affecting their smooth operation in a bid to prevent any interruption to immunization activities in the counties.

He assured that efforts are being made to handle those issues affecting immunization activities in the counties.

The EPI boss pointed out that placing vaccinators on government payroll was beyond his program, rather a national issue.

He proposed that at least 200 thousand is invested by the Liberian Government to handle the salary issues of vaccinators, adding that priority should not be placed only on doctors and nurses.

Clarke described vaccinators as assets to the health sector, especially with the work they do to walk distances to vaccinate the children of Liberia.