Nudging the Flu Shot

Hi my name is Marah and today I am going to persuade you to get a Flu vaccination. I recently got a job working at Walgreens Pharmacy. Every day that I work I see people coming in to pick up their prescriptions that don’t look like the feel very great, with a tissue in one hand and their money in the other. No one wants to be sick, it’s not fun and it makes you feel like crap and you get absolutely nothing done. So it would only make sense if everyone was taking the precautionary measure in getting a flu shot. People should be lining up to get their vaccinations in order to prevent them from them getting sick and missing school, work or important events; but they aren’t, at Walgreens, we give maybe about 4 flu shots a day,

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

Between 1924 and 2013, vaccinations prevented 103 million cases of polio, measles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis A, diphtheria, and pertussis (Bailey). Vaccinating is “the process by which pathogenic cells are injected into a healthy person in an attempt to cause the body to develop antibodies to a particular virus or bacterium—successful creation of antibodies is referred to as immunity to the disease caused by the particular pathogen” (Introduction to Should Vaccinations be Mandatory). Popular conflicts regarding vaccination include the worry that this form of immunization isn’t natural, the idea that vaccination schedule for children in the U.S. takes away parents’ rights to make decisions for their children, and the concern that vaccinations aren’t safe for all children. Most doctors and scientists advocate for vaccinations in the name of herd immunity, protection against foreign diseases and prevention against pockets of disease outbreaks. Vaccinations should be mandatory for all children in the United States for who they are deemed safe and effective.

Usually, vaccinated children get sick after vaccination. This is because the flu virus has entered their bodies and sensitizes it against it. And, what’s more, the flu shot actually causes immunosuppression-weakened immunity.

In the past, Americans did not have much say in their own health care. In today’s time, with the advent of new health-care bills and peaked interest in personal well being, Americans are now anxious to determine for themselves what they need to maintain their own and their loved ones’ health. However, there are still government-regulated requirements for people of all ages in regards to keeping the general public healthy. Vaccinations have always been a topic of contention in regards to younger children, but have been a staple of health for older adults. In fact, college requirements for vaccinations are mandatory, and failure to get the proper vaccines before college starts could result in holds on college students’ accounts or delays in

Mandatory Influenza Vaccinations for healthcare providers can be a controversial topic for some and may propose a challenge to some provider’s ethical values and beliefs. The topic of mandatory vaccination for influenza (“flu”) has been widely studied and debated among professionals over several years. It is apparent that there is some movement towards a mandatory vaccination for influenza by healthcare institutions as the benefit out weighs the risk on several fronts. “Influenza infection is associated with 36,000 excess deaths and > 200,000 hospitalizations in the United States annually. It is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable death in the United States every year” (Babcock, Geminhart, Jones, Dunagan, & Woeltje, 2010, p. 459).

Every year influenza (flu) hits America, and often leaves adults and children ill for days. The Centers for Disease Control takes it upon themselves to encourage adults and children to get vaccinated for the flu. They do this through an advertising campaign that relates to people of all ages. Their Centers for Disease Control campaign focuses on convincing people of all ages, especially children, to get flu vaccinces.

Have you ever been in pain to where you feel like your whole body is aching along with a headache? Then, oddly your body temperature changes. One minute your hot then the next you're cold. Some people even have scratchy throats and a mild cough. Well all of these are signs that you might be coming down with the flu. This harsh and dreadful symptoms can be prevented by simply getting an influenza vaccination. To promote people getting the vaccine the government makes several ads a year to raise awareness to encourage people to make the responsible decision by getting the vaccination.

As a result, the burden placed on the health care system is significantly reduced. Therefore, people at a high risk of contracting influenza should seriously consider being vaccinated. Evidence suggests that educating high-risk people about the influenza vaccine is worthwhile. For example, during the influenza season of 2000-2001, 70% of adults 65 years of age and older received the flu shot. This suggests

Immunization rates still remain low and hospitals that have voluntary programs in place, are not seeing the results they would if mandatory vaccine programs were put in to place. A mandatory influenza vaccine policy is the best solution to this issue and long overdue. Health care-associated influenza occurrences are becoming more common as it contributes to patient mortality and morbidity (The American Academy of Pediatrics, 2010). Thus, proving even further the need to prevent and control influenza by putting the health and safety of our patients first.

Today I got to experience giving middle school and high school students’ flu shots at Lanier County Middle/High School. I was expecting the students to be nervous and show signs of intimidation at the sight of the needle. Before going to the school, I helped the nurse gather the equipment we were going to use, which included, the influenza immunizations, Band-Aids, alcohol prep wipes, and gloves. We also brought colorful pencils and stickers for the students after receiving their flu shot. The nurse also made sure to bring the emergency kit, which consisted of epinephrine, just in case anyone had an allergic reaction.

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

Millions of lives have been saved thanks to a global effort to vaccinate for deadly diseases. Peter Yeo reports “Immunizations have saved more children than any other medical intervention in the last 50 years” (Reforming the U.N. 118). Yet, a new trend for parents is opting out of vaccinating their children for personal beliefs or religious exemptions. Although, the majority of Americans believe vaccines protect children, and conclusive evidence has proven vaccines can prevent the spread of deadly diseases. Still, a few parents believe vaccinating children is not essential for their health, additionally, they believe an increase in mandatory vaccines has insufficient scientific research to prevent serious medical side effects.

Each year in the United States, 3000–49,000 influenza associated deaths occur, with over 90% reported among older adults aged 65 years or older. Influenza also results in an estimated 226,000 hospitalizations, with hospitalization rates among older adults increasing over the past 2 decades (Nace et al., 2015). Influenza is a highly transmissible viral illness that may lead to severe complications from underlying diseases, primary viral or secondary bacterial pneumonia and death (NCBI, 2015). Immunization is one of the most powerful and cost effective interventions against

Relating to the Audience: As college students, we cross paths with hundreds of people every day. With winter coming up, and illnesses running rampant, we are all highly susceptible to catching diseases such as the flu. With vaccinations, we can prevent getting these illnesses.