C+D’s clinical and custom content editor Naimah Callachand spoke to Jane Lambert, nurse and CEO of ECG training, about the importance of correct vaccination technique – especially when working in COVID-19 vaccination settings.

Ms Lambert says that pharmacists have been essential to the successful rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines in the UK, having “stepped up [to the challenge]”.

Correct injection technique is important to ensure delivery of the full vaccine dose into the muscle, so “it’s important to have a quick check to make sure you are happy with the of positioning”, says Ms Lambert.

Having patients expose their arm, right up to above the shoulder is another key aspect to delivering the vaccine successfully, she says. Ms Lambert reiterates that it may be useful to remind patients to wear loose fitting tops to give the vaccinator full vision of the deltoid muscle.

Ms Lambert says that as well as patient safety, there is a need to be conscious of vaccinator safety, given that she has seen needle stick injuries occur in COVID-19 vaccination hubs. The location of emergency equipment should be made known to those at the vaccination site and strict infection control procedures should also be in place, she stresses.

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