Policy Brief: Vaccinations

Policy Brief: Vaccinations

Grand Canyon University: NRS-427VN-O505

Policy Brief: Vaccinations

Vaccines are unique because of how operational and cost-effective they are as a health intervention used for some deadly diseases. The use of vaccines has help to a huge regression in the sum of transmissible diseases. Vaccines hold a very similar, but also a different mild version of matching antigens as the disease itself. So, in a sense the vaccine contains the disease itself but it its ineffective, so they do not cause the disease. Instead the antigens help build up a resistance in the immune system to develop antibodies which then increases the chances of immunity. Building up protection for illnesses leads to an upturn in likelihood of a higher life expectancy. Vaccines deliver resistance and defense from several mild to severe sicknesses triggered by convinced viruses and bacteria (Plotkin 2003). Vaccines additionally defend adolescents from the difficulties that may come with these fatal sicknesses, such as, amputations, seizures, brain damage, paralysis, and death (Immunization Action Coalition, 2016).

Currently, numerous families are depriving their kids of these vaccinations because the parents cannot come to bear the potential damages that can be caused by using these vaccinations. Vaccinated and unvaccinated kids and grownups alike are suffering the penalties of the anti-vaxxer movement. Carol McLeod explains that in order for herd immunity to be effective to protect the populace youth illnesses need a vaccination ratio of 85% or higher (McLeod 2014).  According to the CDC, it is assessed that 72% of adolescents amongst the ages of 18 to 36 months obtain all seven vaccinations that are suggested (Center of Disease Control 2017). Adolescents that are not treated with these vaccines, they surge the danger of distribution transmittable infections to those that are too young and under developed for vaccines and those unfortunate to be born with a weak immune system. When travelling, the unvaccinated are at a higher risk of contracting and bringing those infectious though very curable diseases other countries outside from America (Immunization Action Coalition, 2016). According to the CDC, between the years 2014-2017, there has been over 1,000 reported cases of children being affected by the measles even though this disease has long been declared to no longer be an epidemic and the US has successfully eliminated the disease (Center of Disease Control 2017). Today’s health care society has been trying to address this issue of teaching the community of the efficiency and usefulness of taking these vaccinations and also informing them of the danger they put themselves and loved ones with taking the risk of not getting these vaccinations.

One good start to improve immunization rates is by installing vaccination requirements and enforcing these at each state level. Passing laws and set rules that makes it a requirement for all kids to have these vaccinations before they are allowed to attend school with other children. Many ways to increase these vaccination rates is an improvement in the accessibility to these immunization facilities and in also getting the general public more knowledgeable on disease prevention. Many Public Health Departments offer immunizations to families free of charge, but not every family is aware of this or some haven’t done the right research and believe that these vaccinations cause other issues even though it has already been proven that this doesn’t cause them. Doctors and Nurses are pediatric health care services can help increase vaccination rates by informing and encouraging families during their visits the usefulness and effectives of vaccination and immunization. They can help destroy the myths involved in vaccination.

Pediatric Healthcare providers should investigate the immunization status of each patient and incite vaccination usage during each visit if applicable. Nurses are coached and instructed to have an exceptional skill to understand, review, and synopsize a patient’s worries. This skill is useful to help a patient and their family to refocused and be reassurance towards the patients’ health and safety by taking necessary steps in preventing the contraction of easily curable diseases.

Reference:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Why are childhood vaccines so important?

Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/howvpd.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Measles cases and outbreaks. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html

Immunization Action Coalition. (2016). Vaccine basics: importance of vaccines. Retrieved from http://www.vaccineinformation.org/vaccines-save-lives/

McLeod, C. (2014). Rising Anti-Vaccination Attitudes in the United States: A Plea for Paternalism. Texas Public Health Journal, 66(4), 8-10.

Plotkin, S. A. (2003). Vaccines, vaccination, and vaccinology. The Journal of infectious diseases, 187(9), 1349-1359.