Varicella Vaccination Paper

Thesis: Immunizations are one of the most important medical advances in history. They have severely reduced the effects of dozens of viral infections and everyone should consider getting immunized.

Many infectious diseases that once quickly spread and easily killed have been controlled or eradicated due to vaccinations. The efficacy of vaccines in reducing morbidity and mortality, particularly in children, is undeniable. Per the World Health Organization, childhood vaccinations prevent approximately 2-3 million deaths per year worldwide (WHO, 2016). In the United States, the value of immunizations is clearly displayed by comparing pre-vaccine era morbidity/mortality rates to post-vaccine era in regards to vaccine-preventable diseases. For example, prior to the diphtheria vaccine in the 1920’s, 206,000 people annually contracted the disease resulting in 15,520 deaths (History of Vaccines, 2009). However, between 2004 and 2014, only

Despite significant progress in the fight against preventable disease, millions still die needlessly each year. According to UNICEF, originally known as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, a vaccine preventable disease is responsible for 2 million fatal infections worldwide each year. About 75% of these deaths occur in children under five years of age. (N) In more vivid terms, UNICEF notes that vaccine-preventable diseases kill a child every 20 seconds. (D) Due to high rates of childhood vaccination, the United States has experienced a dramatic reduction in such deaths. A comparison of the years 1950 and 2010 clearly illustrates the benefits of vaccinations. During this 60-year period, deaths from diphtheria reduced from 410 to 0, tetanus from 336 to 3, pertussis from 1,118 to 26, and polio from 1,904 to 0. Measles deaths dropped from 468 in 1950 to 0 in 2008, the last year a United States death rate was recorded. It’s not surprising that vaccinations have been touted as one of the top ten health achievements of the 20th century by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The databases used for this paper included CINAHL and PUBMED. The first search on CINAHAL, using the search string “education + vaccines + children” the results were too broad and resulted in 522 full-text hits. The final search used “educational intervention + improve vaccines” resulted in 18 full-text hits and 8 full text hits respectively. Most articles were on point and up-to-date.

The incidence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in my local community Lockport, Illinois is one out of every five people have HPV and due to the vaccinations to prevent HPV, Illinois ranks 48th among the United States for incidences of HPV (Manchir, 2013). HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that is transmitted through sexual contact. HPV is transmitted during vaginal, oral, or anal sex and on rare occasions, through birth during delivery (Illinois Department of Public Health [IDPH], 2013). Surprisingly, 50 percent of men and women that are active sexually will acquire HPV during their lifetime! HPV has affected 20 million Americans and an astounding, six million additional people will become infected every year (Illinois Department of Public Health [IDPH], 2013). Although Lockport Illinois has a lower amount of people with HPV, as a public health nurse, I realize this is an issue that needs to be addressed in my local community. Awareness is the key to prevention. Teenagers, parents, and all adults need to

This essay will attempt to investigate the employment of the 23 plus vaccinations used today and how they defend the preventions and spread of diseases. The paper will support the pros and the cons of vaccinations that are supported by research statistics as well as the different symptoms that have been reported for each available vaccine.

It has been proven through the measures of the Randomized Control Trial study and the Observational study that vaccinations serve as an effective way of preventing viruses. For example, when a RCT is performed, volunteers can be placed in two groups. One group receives the actual vaccine, and the other receives a placebo. Within this study, vaccine efficacy is also measured by comparing the frequency of the illness in the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. When the Observational study is performed, it’s important to remember that it’s totally upon the individual to whether or not they prefer to be

To evaluate the study hypothesis, a case-series study design will be used. For this study, the underlying study population will include DoD beneficiaries and U.S. Armed Forces personnel who were on active duty during the study period of 1985-2015. The inclusion criteria will include: 1) study subjects aged 9 years or over, and 2) study subjects with at least one YF vaccination, whereas the exclusion criteria will include: 1) study subjects less than 9 years of age, and 2) subjects without a history of YF vaccination. In order to determine vaccination against YF among subjects during the 20-year study period, we will retrieve vaccination data from three military surveillance systems. These include: 1) the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC);

This topic is extremely significant to my audience because a growing number of parents do not vaccinate their children due to fear of side effects. Parents today have lost confidence in in the vaccination industry as a consequence of sensationalism brought about by false evidence published and the celebrities that latched onto that claim. Sadly, some people have taken to considering the strong opinions and may not research vaccinations before making decisions

The person should avoid scratching or rubbing the itchy areas and keep their fingernails short to avoid damaging the skin. The infected person should avoid prolonged exposure to excessive heat and humidity. The use of over- the counter antihistamines or hydrocortisone creams may be recommended for itch relief. Some doctors may prescribe antivirals if the rash began within 24 hours. Antiviral medication is not usually prescribed to otherwise healthy children who do not have severe symptoms. Antivirals are usually prescribed to high-risk groups whom are prone to severe symptoms such as eczema, lung conditions, or who immunocompromised individuals. The infected person should also be advised to avoid aspirin due to association with a serious condition called Reyes syndrome or Ibuprofen due to the association of more severe secondary infections. Tylenol is recommended for fever relief. Some complications that can occur are bacterial infections secondary to scratching, encephalitis, pneumonia and death. The preventions of chickenpox are acquired by vaccination with the varicella vaccine in children, adolescents, and adults, and the herpes zoster vaccine for persons of 60 and older (Maurer&Smith). The Centers for Disease and controls estimates that 95% of Americans will have chickenpox by the time they reach adulthood. The CDC also estimates that there are 4 million cases with a100 deaths and 9300 hospitalizations a

Before vaccines were introduced, varicella was endemic in the United States, and virtually all persons acquired varicella at some point before adulthood (cdc.gov, 2006). It is reported that 4 million cases of chickenpox were recorded in the U.S. each year before the vaccine was introduced. Although some states reported cases of varicella to the CDC, it was eliminated from the list of nationally notifiable conditions in 1981. Children under 10 years of age make up between 75 – 90 % of chickenpox cases. In 1995, due to the availability of the vaccine in the U.S., hospitalizations due to chickenpox has declined by nearly 90% (Hambleton, & Gershon, 2005).

Prevention is best. In 1995 the varicella vaccine was introduced to the USA. There are two types

Ragan & Duffy (2012, p.23) have also shown high immunization rates have resulted in a substantial decline in vaccine preventable diseases, particularly vaccination has eliminated smallpox worldwide. In addition, in a study by Bawah, Phillips, Adjuik & smith et al (2010, p.95) found that vaccination has resulted in a large and statistically significant reduction child mortality. The risk of dying for children younger than five who are fully immunized is reduced by more than 70% compared with those who are not immunized or partially immunized. Moreover, research by Dawson (2011, p.1032) also suggests that vaccination is a vital intervention in reducing illness and death rates in children and he estimated approximately 2.5 million deaths could be prevented each year by vaccination. In addition to personal immunity Vaccination programs also bring herd immunity which ensures even greater protection for the community from communicable diseases. The level of vaccination required to provide herd immunity varies with virulence and transmissibility as well as vaccine efficacy. While vaccinating

Data findings are examined by the Varicella Active Surveillance Project (VASP) funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “The purpose of the active surveillance program is to obtain population-based incidence rates for varicella and herpes zoster diseases in a community with established high varicella vaccination coverage rates and to evaluate the impact of current and future varicella vaccination practices and policies“ (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011, para. 2).

Chickenpox can best be prevented by given the dose of varicella vaccine to children, adolescents, adults and the herpes zoster vaccine for people age 60 and above (Maurer & Smith 2013). Generally, people who get the vaccine will not get chickenpox, however, if the vaccinated person get chickenpox, the symptoms is usually mild fever or no fever, fewer red spots or blisters.