Increased Vaccination Needs for Pediatric New Mainers

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University of Southern Maine *

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Medicine

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Feb 20, 2024

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1 Running Head: INCREASED VACCINATION NEEDS FOR PEDIATRIC NEW-MAINER POPULATION Increased Vaccination Needs for Pediatric New-Mainer Population Monica A. Stimmel, BS, BSN, RN The University of Southern Maine NUR 606: 0100- Leadership, Health Policy, and Graduate Nursing Roles March 5, 2023
2 INCREASED VACCINATION NEEDS FOR PEDIATRIC NEW-MAINER POPULATION Executive Summary Maine has seen increasing numbers of refugees, including many foreign-born children, who are prone to additional health disparities as they often arrive lacking proper healthcare or records (Migration Policy Institute, 2019). If these children hope to assimilate into our educational system, they need updated care, including immunizations. The longer that this population remains removed from a standardized educational system, the increasing risk they present to communal resources. As many pediatric vaccinations are completed in series, swift policy change is necessary to decrease potential future burden on society, government, and health care-related systems, and avoiding negative impacts on the healthcare experiences and outcomes of current residents. I evaluated two policy alternatives with regards to population benefit, ethics/equity, and administrative feasibility. After analysis, I recommend passage of L.D. 221 to expand MaineCare, supporting improvements in state immunization protocols for pediatric New-Mainers as well as increasing resource availability and the equity and ethics of resource distribution.
3 INCREASED VACCINATION NEEDS FOR PEDIATRIC NEW-MAINER POPULATION Increased Vaccination Needs for Pediatric New-Mainer Population Maine has been experiencing an influx of refugees, including many children. This new population will require additional health resources to ensure the stability of the current healthcare system and to avoid adverse impacts on the healthcare experiences and outcomes of current Mainers. In addition, in order as to not burden other current societal programs, considerations must be made when dealing with the pediatric population. This group is prone to additional health disparities, as they arrive often lacking appropriate healthcare or records of previous care, producing additional barriers related to educational access. An upstream approach to such problems aids in reducing health disparities, which based on current literature, affect racial and ethnic minorities at higher levels within the population. Upstream factors both directly and indirectly related to healthcare should be considered, including access to care (Nichols, 2021). This analysis will evaluate this vast public health problem based on pre-established criteria to propose a viable policy alternative for consideration. Purpose The medical model that the U.S healthcare system is founded on is based on the ideal that health is simply the lack of illness or disease (Shi and Singh, 2019). The very definition of the medical model displays a large pitfall: it lacks the needed focus on preventative care. As nurse administrators representing the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN) and the nurses within this organization, we are seeking upstream policy change to increase the number of vaccinated children within this population to increase compliance with Maine public school enrollment requirements; therefore, also increasing the number of these children eligible for enrollment in the public school system and minimizing future burden on the state’s public assistance programs. Background
4 INCREASED VACCINATION NEEDS FOR PEDIATRIC NEW-MAINER POPULATION From 2000 to 2019, the state of Maine saw a 42.8% increase in the number of foreign-born residents, who are prone to additional health disparities as they often arrive lacking proper healthcare or records (Migration Policy Institute, 2019). If the children of this new population are to assimilate into our educational system, we will need to ensure compliance with our healthcare standards. The scope and urgency of this problem seem functionally contradictory, as the urgency is increasing and the scope remains vast. The more time that passes without set policy in place to handle this influx, the more the problem grows. The longer that his pediatric population remains removed from a standardized educational system, the increasing risk of burden they are from a fiscal and resource availability perspective. As a majority of pediatric vaccinations must be done in series, it is imperative that such preventative care begins as soon as possible in order to decrease the future burden on society, government, and health care-related system. There is dire need for increased compliance of this population with the Maine public school enrollment requirements, to allow for a more seamless transition of this population into the system in a timely manner. Evaluation Criteria The evaluation criteria that I will use to evaluate which policy to recommend to public decision makers include population benefit, ethics/equity, and administrative feasibility. The population benefit will be beneficial to assess as it should be ensured that the policy alternative proposition is able to meet both current and future demands. Whatever that this policy may lay the framework for must logistically and structurally support the current Maine community, as well as the new Mainers arriving to our state each day, to ensure longevity and continuity. This will ensure that the changes are sustainable to continue to support our community long-term. Secondly, the policy must ensure that the resources provided are available equitably across the populations in need of such services. To promote positive and effective change, the policy alternative selected should prove feasible to provide for fair coverage and access to resources without promoting additional disparities among race, gender, or socioeconomic
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