H1N1 Vaccine Case Study

Health care can be an extremely sensitive topic, as many people have reservations over what treatments work and do not work. One treatment that has spark debate is the effectiveness of flu vaccinations, and the possible outcomes, especially for the elderly. In the Case Study “Healthcare Obligations: Personal vs. Institutional,” Dr. Jones faces several moral and ethical issues concerning flu vaccinations. One of the main issues concerns informing patients about the relative effectiveness of the vaccine and whether or not they should get it. According to the British CDC, the rate of effectiveness for flu shots were less than a quarter and that they offered no significant protection.

A 65 year old female with diabetes and asthma presented with subjective chills, lethargy, arthralgias, and myalgias lasting over 2 days. She mentioned having received the inactivated influenza vaccine 5 days back. Vital signs were stable apart from sinus tachycardia (HR 143/min). Labs, including CBC and BMP, were within normal limits except for baseline normocytic anemia (Hb 10.7 g/dl). Serum calcium was 10.8 mg/dl. She was observed for a day, and was discharged home with supportive treatment. She presented a day later with persistent flu like symptoms. Labs were significant for a serum calcium being above 22 mg/dl, normal renal function, normal total protein, albumin, ACE levels, clear urine with no albuminuria, low

This is what the physician provided me on yesterday. As stated in the document, there was an allergic reaction after Blake received a flu shot. Please provide the policy pertaining to a letter from an allergist to submit a request for a waiver for individuals opted out of flu shots for medical reasons and/or beliefs.

Vaccines are ruining natural immune systems (Moskowitz 16). When putting a vaccine into one's body they can damage or badly hurt their immune system. Children are better off being able to fight off the virus by natural immunity than by artificial immunity. Auto immune disorders can be caused by vaccines. Some disorders include arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus and other disorders (Tishler, Shoenfeld 13) By putting one's self in risk of getting one of these disorders one is going to have a lot more health problems than before they got vaccinated. An auto-immune disorder is when the immune system thinks that the healthy cells are bad and sends other cells to kill them.

Vaccinations cause allergic reactions in both adults and children. The flu vaccine is one of the worst offenders.

Evident within this statistic that states ‘The DTaP vaccine can cause seizures in 1 in 14,000 people, and acute encephalitis (brain swelling) in 11 in 1 million. But the diseases it prevents (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) are fatal in 1 in 20 cases, 1 in 10 cases, and 1 in 1,500 cases, respectively.’ (Heyworth, 2014). This proves the necessity of vaccinations and their importance in reducing child mortality rates. The primary concern of vaccine opponents is the contraction of any of the severe side effects previously mentioned. Opponents campaign the severity of the side effects: often the basis of their decision to contest vaccines. The reoccurring argument Anti-vaccine individuals present is the diagnosis of autism subsequent to vaccinations, an argument sourced from an Andrew Wakefield article (ABC Science, 2015). The credibility and accuracy of the article was ridiculed consequently it was later declared fraudulent: the author was reprimanded whilst his medical licence was disposed of. The inoculation of children creates the positive proliferation of life, providing immunity to fatal diseases whilst protecting individuals unable to be vaccinated. To logically decide to oppose vaccinations, accurate medical evidence should be analysed and the risks

In recent years encouragement to get flu shots has become a yearly mantra. Elderly, children six months to two years, health care workers and immune-deficient people are urged in the strongest terms to go to their doctors or clinics and get a flu shot. This group encompasses about 98 million people. In the fall of 2004 this was in the forefront of American and to some extent the Western World media with the shortage of this flu seasons vaccine. Current medical wisdom states that flu shots are safe, effective and prevent mortality. A recent study published by The Journal of the American Medicine Association (JAMA) has brought the current wisdom into question. On February 14, 2005 JAMA

RESULTS: Potential reasons for rejection of flu vaccine was the swine flu pandemic of 2009-2010 where 200 adults and children were diagnosed with narcolepsy after flu vaccination. The media played a big role in anti-vaccine persuasion. As a result, pharmaceutical industry must ensure the most utter importance in creating a tested and uncontaminated vaccine for public use.

The CDC reports, “All vaccines carry a life-threatening allergic reaction in one per million children.” The CDC also says, “ The flu vaccine could cause Guillain-Barré Syndrome which is a disorder where a person’s immune system attacks

Reactions from vaccines are rare but serious. C. The

Through the rise of technological advances in medicine, the vaccine has changed the world for the greater good of the human race. Making a great triumph and virtually eliminating an array of life-threatening diseases, from smallpox to diphtheria, thus adding approximately thirty years to many humans’ life spans. Although, a new complication has arisen, possibly linking neurological digression with this rise of new vaccines. Such a digression has forced parents to exempt their children from receiving vaccinations and brought forth mental anguish affecting the minds of many.

Vaccines save lives; fear endangers them. Vaccinations have been used since the 18th century to cure various deadly diseases, from smallpox to the influenza virus. On a global level, vaccination is one of the few cost-effective medical measures that result in universal benefit. Yet there have always been those opposed to vaccinations because of possible side effects. With the increase in technology and the ability to share ideas in modern society the anti vaccine movement has flourished making the eradication of disease and safety of the public a difficult task. The anti-vaccine movement in the United States is one which brings about a very serious issue of safety. Vaccinations are put in place to protect people; they are administered by trained professionals who weigh the costs and benefits of vaccines. Yet there are still people out there who refuse to be vaccinated out of fear and therefore decide for themselves the effectiveness of vaccines. In order to ensure a safe society the public needs to be educated about vaccine in order to make a truly informed decision.

Parents should be allowed to choose whether or not to immunize their children because of health concerns. Every vaccine has the potential to cause side effects such as, a low fever, irritation or swelling of the injection site, and headaches. These side effects are temporary and can usually last up to twenty-four hours, but sometime minor side effects are sometimes confused for the beginnings of severe adverse reactions. Adverse reactions occur because of genetics, environment, and acute sensitivity. When a person suffers from an adverse reaction they can temporary if treated properly and quickly, but tend to be permanent in most cases. Dr. Ran Paul believes that parents should have the right to choose because he has “heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines” (Con 1). He is not against vaccines, but believes that the parents have a right to be more involved. Vaccines can also cause a weakened immune system in children, which lowers their ability to

“Proponents argue that vaccination is safe and one of the greatest health developments of the 20th century. They point out that illnesses, including rubella, diphtheria, and whooping cough, which once killed thousands of infants annually are now prevented by vaccination” (“Vaccines”). Many deaths occur simply because children, along with adults, do not get the required shots needed. Medical treatments are not given to do a person any harm, but to keep a person and environment safe. Kids being vaccinated will give them less of a possibility to obtain a disease that could lead to death. Benefits outweigh any possibility of risking accumulating a disease. When people say that vaccinations are harmful, does not necessarily mean to develop a deadly disease, simply means some small risks. “Vaccines are not entirely harmless, but the small risks are outweighed by the benefits of a disease prevention” (Offit). Indeed flu shots must be tested in order to be able to give anyone the shot. Receiving vaccinations is only meant to help people prevent many illnesses and deaths. Although some small risks could be accumulated, those small risks are very small possibilities of anything happening to anyone. Getting immunized is not a one-time thing; people must follow up on required dates to receive them.

As the flu season continues to draw closer, the fear of contracting the H1N1 virus, more commonly known as the swine flu, persists in spreading throughout the world. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 2 million people nationwide have already been infected with the H1N1 virus, but families are still skeptical about the new H1N1 vaccine and refuse to take it. I believe the best way to prevent children and adults from the influenza is to receive the H1N1 vaccine.