Construction of an index of vaccine room operational adequacy

Abstract

The study aimed to analyze the standards and environment of vaccination rooms in a specific territory of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro, develop an assessment index, and profile the practicing nurses. This was a descriptive, qualitative study with quantitative components, conducted across 13 vaccination rooms using on-site observation via a systematized environmental assessment checklist and semi-structured interviews. The Forrester Vaccination Room Adequacy Index (IFASV) was developed based on 53 items derived from ANVISA regulations. All 13 professionals were female; 69.2% held a specialization, yet only 7.7% considered their training in immunization sufficient, and 53.8% lacked certification in anaphylaxis management. Regarding infrastructure, 84.6% of the rooms had an area between 6 and 8 m², and 100% were equipped with cold storage units and air conditioning; main inadequacies involved the ceiling (23.1%), window paintwork (38.5%), and refrigerator placement (23.1%). The IFASV scores ranged from 86.8% to 100% (mean: 94.3%), classifying 76.9% of the rooms as having "very good" adequacy and 7.7% as having "perfect" adequacy. The IFASV proved to be a useful tool for measuring adequacy, capable of supporting supervision and quality control efforts, with a methodology that can be replicated for future comparative analyses.