Assignment 1ID: A Case Study on Infectious Diseases

To get the flu vaccine or not to get the flu vaccine? This is a huge controversial question millions of Americans today ask themselves every year. There are many myths that come along with the topic of the flu vaccine that lead to people questioning the effectiveness of the medication. Safety for our families and loved ones is what we aim to achieve, but what are the pros and cons of this vaccine? What are the consequences and what are myths, but most importantly: what are the reasons we should get it in the first place? In this paper you will learn the many reasons for the flu vaccination and how it affects different populations beginning with children all the way to the elderly population. First of all, what is the flu

In a 1998 study involving children published by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that the intranasal flu vaccine increased antibodies in the bodies of its recipients, and decreased the likelihood of flu. Results showed that the vaccine was more effective than placebo. (1) A 2012 study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases showed that flu vaccines “was associated with a three-quarters reduction in the risk of life-threatening influenza illness in children.” (2)For older adults, however, flu vaccines may have a lower efficacy—but they still prevent 61.2% of flu hospitalizations.

Influenza viruses are divided into three classes. These are A, B, and C. Influenza A and B are blamed for the increases in hospitalization and deaths each year. The aim of receiving an annual vaccine is to prevent spreading infections. Since flu outbreaks vary, it is recommended that individuals receive a vaccination for the flu

Over 3 million US cases have occurred per year. The flu is a viral infection that can be deadly if not treated. The flu is extremely contagious, it can spread about six feet away from another person. It may be spread by coughing or sneezing, skin-to-skin contact, saliva, or touching a contaminated surface. Children, elderly people, pregnant women, and people who have chronic disease are at higher risk of becoming ill with this virus. The areas mainly affected are lungs, nose, and chest. Symptoms include fever, chills, sore throat, muscle fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headaches. Some symptoms may appear abruptly. A recommended treatment may primarily deal with the patient getting some rest. Other treatment includes drinking plenty of water; throat Lozenge would be advised for throat pain, decongestant such as Pseudoephedrine for stuffy nose, Dextromethorphan for cough, anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen for mild pain, and antiviral drug like Zanamivir to help treat type B influenza. The best way to be protected is vaccination. The vaccine is offered from September to mid-November. Getting vaccinated before the flu season helps the body develops a strong immunity from the virus. It is safe for a Pregnant woman to receive vaccination. Annual vaccination is recommended. Do not get

Influenza is very contagious and spreads rapidly from person to person. Influenza causes worldwide yearly epidemics. According to World Health organization Influenza affects 5-15% world’s population and resulting in 500,000 deaths yearly. Ottenberg stated that, in United States, an average of 200,000 were hospitalized and 36,000 died each year from influenza complications. Influenza is the sixth leading cause of death among US adults and is related to 1 in 20 death in persons older than 65 years. Disease control and prevention estimates indicate that infections like H1N1 which is one of the types of influenza, have resulted in an estimated 42 to 86 million cases and 8520 to 17620 deaths. As I mentioned earlier that infections like

Influenza, also known as the flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus that infects the nose, throat, and lungs (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

Last year, only twenty-six percent of eighteen to forty-nine year olds got the flu shot (Singh, 2014). With an average of 200,000 people hospitalized annually due to flu-related symptoms, these low vaccination rates are generating serious health risks among young adults all over the country (National Consumers League, 2013). This winter, at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., the average age of people hospitalized with influenza was 28.5 years old, and of those that ended up in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital, only two of the twenty-two had received the flu vaccination (Singh, 2014). The primary reason that young adults do not get the influenza vaccination is that they believe that they are invincible and influenza is not a serious illness (Singh, 2014). One in five Americans who do not receive the influenza vaccination claims that influenza is not a serious illness (National Consumers League, 2013). Of the Americans who do not get vaccinated, forty-five percent cited their good health as a rationale for bypassing vaccination (National Consumers League, 2013). This may be partly due to the targeted measures by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to increase vaccination rates among children and the elderly. In comparison to the twenty-six percent of young adults that were vaccinated, 56.6% of children (ages six months to seventeen years old) and 66.2% of seniors (ages 65 and older) were vaccinated. When targeted measures are used, they work. The problem

Influenza is responsible for hospitalizations and deaths in the United States. Prevention through vaccination is one way to circumvent illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths. Those persons who were more susceptible fall into the categories of 6 months to 4 years of age and 65 years and older. According to CDC (2013), the 2012-13 influenza season was characterized as a moderately severe season based on the surveillance data. Regardless of suggestions and encouragements of schools and places of employment for individuals to be vaccinated against the flu, fewer than half the persons in the United States each year are inoculated against this disease. Influenza vaccines are now widely used to reduce the burden of annual epidemics of influenza virus infections (Cowling, et al., 2016).

Influenza is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory passages that causes severe body aches, high fever, and can sometimes lead to death. To be protected, you must be immunized every year. “A new study found that the influenza vaccine prevents type A and type B in only 1.5 out of every 100 vaccinated adults, but the media portrays these statistics as this meaning the vaccination is 60 percent effective” (Medline Plus). Unfortunately, this does not mean 60 out of 100 people who receive the flu shot leads to protection against influenza. Researchers can confirm that most strains of influenza are harmless against healthy individuals; however, the virus has an ability to mutate into different strains which can cause an extensive

Influenza is a respiratory infection caused by a range of flu virus. The virus is very contagious and can cause mild to severe illness and even death. Droplets spread the virus, especially when infected people cough, sneeze or talk. Touching a contaminated surface or object can also transmit the virus. Getting vaccinated annually is the best method of averting the flu virus. When there is a vaccine shortage, it will be fair and ethical to give the vaccine to the most vulnerable or high-risk members of the society such as; those with asthma, diabetes, and heart diseases, children and the elderly and most importantly health care workers. Selling the vaccine will undermine those at high risk who cannot afford to buy the vaccine. The ethical principles of Utilitarian and egalitarianism are the contending principles for rationing the seasonal flu vaccine.

Seasonal Influenza is identified as extremely deadly; the conditions that may arise from being infected with the virus can lead to many complications with some resulting in death for many high risk patients (Hooper, Breathnach & Iqbal, 2014). According to Hooper et al. (2014), high risk group of individuals who should avoid contracting the virus include: children below 6 months, immunocompromised individuals or pregnant women, the elderly and all healthcare workers who may have exposures (Hooper, 2014).

One way to help stop the spread of the influenza virus is through receiving yearly vaccinations. Every year through predictions, a group of scientists help drug companies develop vaccines for the approaching influenza season (Surviving the flu season, 2016). Due to the importance of receiving the vaccine there should be a plan in place that makes this vaccine more accessible to all individuals especially the younger population. A start could be partnering with the local medical community to initiate school vaccination programs. Having a nationwide program advocate for kids that do not have a primary doctors, insurance, or means or transportation to get to a clinic to be vaccinated would be highly beneficial. School based health clinics can be successful because kids are already in one central location around ninety-two to ninety-eight percent are in attendance at school on average (Herbert, Gargano, Painter, Sales, Morfaw, Murray, DiClemente, & Hughes, 2013). In addition, having kids get vaccinated at the same time could prevent influenza cases, and decrease medical care cost for families. School-age kids also remain carriers of the virus for an extended period of time, therefore targeting school-aged kids is critical to helping minimize the spread of the influenza virus in the community (Herbert et al., 2013). Additionally, having all students vaccinated can minimize the severity

While I was completing my clinical rotation at the hospital, I was able to observe a 6 year old girl of Hispanic background get admitted with the flu virus. This particular little girl was placed in a room with a precaution sign on the door that said to wear protective gear such as mask and gloves upon entering room. The sign also stated that the flu virus was also spread by droplets. So what is the flu? According to the literature, it was found that in 1933 these causative organisms were later identified as a virus. The flu is a highly contagious virus that attacks our respiratory and immune system. It can furthermore be broken down into categories A, B and C. Human influenza A and B cause seasonal epidemics in the United States. Type C is a mild respiratory illness, not known to cause epidemics. Type A can be further broken down into subgroups of different strains while type B is not broken down into subtypes but lineages and strains. The seasonal flu easily enters through our nose, mouth and carries itself down to our lungs. Each year, a countless number of people from the age of 0-99 become infected with the influenza (flu) virus. The flu has a sudden onset of high fever, usually dry cough, muscle aches, sore throat, runny nose and generally a malaise feeling all over the body. Usually the flu is a seasonal virus occurring typically in the fall or winter months but flu is highly unpredictable. Flu can range from a mild case to a severe hospital ridden case and

B) Pharmacy Student: We would need to obtain a sample of the peritoneal fluid using paracentesis, and then perform a gram stain and blood culture to see if there is bacterial growth.

Recent reports from the CDC have indicated that the flu vaccine is not easily available in the market. Based on this one reason, the report has suggested that 50% of at-risk population who have contracted the virus will not be able to receive inoculations for several months. This is one of the main challenges that are to be faced by the organization in the upcoming season.