Vaccine Assistance Act Essay

While supporting the voluntary immunization for children and defending the right to have information regarding the risk involved with vaccines, the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) oppose the elimination of or possible barriers of entry to obtain Non-Medical Exemptions. In an effort to reduce vaccine related injuries and/or death and support those who do not want to receive vaccines due to personal, spiritual, or religious beliefs, the NVIC supports the right to Non-Medical Exemptions. The primary purpose of this paper is to analyze the safety, efficacy, and economic burden of vaccines, as well as the right to choice in regards to Non-Medical Exemptions.

Throughout history people have seen many public health innovations. Numerous advancements were made between 2001 and 2010. These advancements include “tobacco control, motor vehicle safety, public health preparedness and response, and occupational safety.” (Ten Great Public Health Achievements --- United States, 2001—2010) One of the most important innovations was vaccine preventable diseases. Many people believe that it is right for the government to necessitate children to be vaccinated. Others think it is wrong and that the parents should decide what is best for their children’s health. It is beneficial for the United States government to require young children in the United States to get vaccinations including hepatitis A and B,

I had the privilege to attend a legislative hearing session that was held in the General Assembly of Maryland in Annapolis. The hearing was held by the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee on February 25, 2015 at 1:00pm. The committee is chaired by Senator Joan Carter Conway and vice chair Senator Paul G Pinsky. The public hearing session that I attended was regarding Senate Bill number 598 entitled Public Health Vaccination Reporting to Maryland immunization registry, a web based software called ImmuNet. The bill was first introduced on February 6, 2015, which was requested by the Department of Mental Health and Hygiene. The other committee members that were present in this session included Senator Simonaire Bryan, Senator Gail Bates, Senator Rosapepe Jim, Senator Montgomery Karen and Senator Nathan Pulliam Shirley. Furthermore, this paper will discuss the legislative session proceedings on the senate bill 598 entitled Public Health Vaccination Reporting Requirement that will include the purpose of the meeting, attendees and their role in health care, the impact that the legislative bill will have on current healthcare practices, efficacy of the oppositions to the bill and my position on the bill.

Sufficient data shows that vaccines has made a major improvement in decreasing suffering and death of infectious diseases and syndrome. And yet, despite the mounting evidence that reassure the safety and value of vaccination, public health continuous faces the dilemma over individual choice, autonomy and protection of the entire population at risk. Children in developing countries now have more access to vaccines, yet, the debate continue over the requirement, including mandates immunization during public health emergency and school-aged. This paper addresses the framework for policy and laws that are associated with immunization that protect our children from infectious diseases.

For the past ten years, we at Virginia Mason Medical Center have been implementing mandatory influenza vaccination. This is due to the flu vaccination being able to reduce flu illnesses and prevent flu-related hospitalizations. According to the Center for Control and Disease (CDC, 2014) during 2012-2013, an estimated 45% of the U.S population got vaccinated, helping to prevent an estimated 6.6 million flu-related illness, with 3.2 million flu-related medical visits, almost 80,000 hospitalizations and roughly $87 billion dollars in total economic burden. Influenza is extremely contagious and each year on an average 5%-20% of the U.S population get the flu with tens of thousands die from a flu-related illness. Therefore, many health cares setting along with Virginia Mason Medical Center is mandating all their healthcare workers to get the influenza vaccination. Consequently, making annual influenza vaccination requirement for healthcare workers a continuing and debatable health topic. The potential of getting the vaccination have great benefits to healthcare professionals, their patients, and their families by

Mandatory vaccination continues to be a contentious subject in the United States, even though extensive evidence proves inoculation prevents certain diseases. According to A. Plotkin & L. Plotkin (2011), the evolution of the first vaccine commenced in the 1700’s when a physician named Edwards Jenner discovered that cowpox protected individuals from one of the deadliest diseases termed smallpox. The precise virus Jenner used is unclear; however, it was espoused in the extermination of smallpox worldwide. The researchers further explained, the unearthing of the subsequent vaccine known as chicken cholera occurred approximately 80 years later by Louise Pasteur. Ever since, copious vaccines such as rabies, yellow fever, varicella, pneumococcal, mumps and recently HPV have been introduced.

In the 1850s the first school vaccination requirement were enacted to prevent smallpox. Federal and state efforts to eradicate measles in the 1960s and 1970s motivated many to mandate policies. By the 1990s, all 50 states requirement for children to be enrolled in school must receive certain immunizations and if these requirements were not met than children were not allowed to be enrolled in school (Center for Disease Control Prevention, 2010). For example, in the state of California, private public school or daycare cannot admit children unless vaccinations were received for all ten of the diseases. If the California Department of Public Health implements a requirement for vaccination parent can be allowed to obtain personal belief exemptions that would allow parents to opt out of vaccination for their children if form is filled out by healthcare professional that states vaccinations were countered to personal beliefs. This law has not been implemented as of yet but should be in 2016. The healthcare of policy decision in laws can have an influence on individuals based on the decision that are made. Health care policy and issues can affect providers and patients in many different ways. Stakeholders’ in the policymakers for vaccination main concern is the safety and health of children so the implement exemptions of laws from concern about vaccine

The United States will certainly experience increasing numbers of cases filed in the US Court of Federal Claims (Vaccine Court) (Newton 2013, 336). The costs incurred include employing additional lawyers and judges and paying damages awarded in any lost litigations. In addition, a government fear of potential lawsuits may initiate changes in FDA regulations, which perpetuates increased vaccine costs due to higher regulations and monitoring to produce “safer and more effective” vaccinations. Consequentially, the pharmaceutical industry will increase research and development costs resulting in more expensive governmentally distributed vaccines than previously reported. The many costs depicted above makes a mandatory vaccination policy a poor investment if the numerous potential benefits are not

The Vaccine safety study act was designated to a congressional committee over a year ago on April 5, 2013. The congressional committee will then analyze the issue before passing it on to the Senate or the house for further discussion. Some of the issues discussed in the bill various vaccine programs, keeping track of the number of children, infants, and pregnant women, young and older adults who have received vaccinations over the years. It also discussed the difference that existed between individuals who have received and declined vaccination due to personal reasons. Another issue that was discussed in this bill the research or study between multiple vaccine interactions and how it is affecting children receiving many vaccinations.

medical vaccine exemptions laws as currently exist in our state. This is in light of the

According to the World Health Organization, health policies are considered as decisions, plan and actions that are used to accomplished goals set for enrich the general population. These goals may outline a specific vision, prioritize health-related proceedings, introduce impending laws and educate the public. One important healthcare policy is mandatory school vaccinations to control the verging public health dilemma. Presently, there is not federal law in place that requires parents to have their children vaccinated to attend school. However, all 50 states have own varying laws employed to require vaccinations for children prior to them enrolling in school. For example, in the state of Maryland students planning to enroll in a Maryland college

The recent measles outbreak occurring at Disneyland in December 2014 became widespread news and rekindled an ongoing debate of childhood vaccination. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is the United States government agency responsible for the protection of Americans from health threats, there were 159 measles incidents arising from this occurrence (“Measles” 373). Considering this outbreak, it is not unexpected that the role of vaccination would come to the forefront. The CDC is presently advocating 29 vaccinations for children through the age of six years old (“2016 Recommended Immunizations” 1). However, each state respectively establishes the laws for vaccination and corresponding exemptions. For comparison purposes, in the early 1970’s, only three vaccinations were recommended (The Merck Manual 1462). This growth is a 314% surge in the number of vaccinations encouraged by the CDC. Thus, the subject of vaccinations and exemptions is contentious, divisive, and widely debated. Indeed, some believe that childhood vaccinations should be mandatory in order to protect every individual from preventable diseases (Gostin 1100). Instead, vaccination should be an informed parental choice, not mandated by the federal government, because vaccine safety is questionable, diseases being vaccinated against have fundamentally disappeared, and parents should have the right and freedom to nurture their children.

Just like any other problem, it had to originate somewhere. The issue of infant vaccinations dates all the way back to 1796. It all started with Edward Jenner’s experiment. For instance, “In 1796,(Edward) Jenner conducted an experiment, scratching the arm of an 8-year-old boy named James Phipps using material from a cowpox sore in one of these dairymaids. Then he repeated the same experiment, but this time added a small amount of smallpox into the same child. He hoped that the procedure would immunize the child against the deadly smallpox infection. In fact, it did. Jenner’s experiment began the immunization age” ("History of Immunizations”). So, if it wasn't for Edward Jenner's experiments in 1796, there could be a possibility that vaccinations

To fully understand the argument for mandated vaccinations, it is important to understand how different States define the word, “mandate,” and the Supreme Court’s reasoning behind upholding vaccination laws. Many would associate the word “mandate” with an order or command, or something that signifies requirement or inexcusableness, but States’

Measles. Polio. Smallpox. The flu. Imagine the world when vaccines were yet to be created. There was a time when people lived in fear of dreadful diseases. Thanks to the introduction of vaccines, many of those devastating diseases have been nearly or completely wiped out. Despite these results, for some people, the question remains: should we vaccinate? Today, I will be discussing the development of the first vaccine, global benefits, and the anti-vaccine movement.