Part of Of paper attached.

IMMUNIZATION 5

Immunization

Mary Jones

IHP-610-X3562 Health Policy and Law

Southern New Hampshire University

01/29/2017

This report is meant to inform the reader of the recent events at Evergreen state, the measures the state had put in place to guard its citizens against a disease outbreak. It also looks at the exemption allowed against vaccination (Wilensky, 2017). The report then focuses on a situation where four of the state's counties reported cases of whooping cough, which resulted in three deaths. Finally, the report will indicate the steps taken by the state's Legislature in response to the outbreak and the consequences (South New Hampshire University).

Summary

The evergreen state has had comprehensive immunization legislation for the last 60 years. This legislation addresses the mandatory immunization requirements for school children and health workers. There are only two exemptions for children in this compulsory immunization; one is on medical based while the other is based on religious beliefs. For health workers, there is only one exemption based on medical safety. There has been a significant outbreak of whooping cough in four of Evergreen's counties. This outbreak caused three deaths; it is however not known whether the three victims were vaccinated against whooping cough. The same counties have also experienced cases of measles and bad flu in the past (South New Hampshire University).

In response to this, the state's Legislature is considering the removal of the exemption from vaccination based on religious beliefs. This bill is being supported by those who were negatively affected by whooping cough and opposed by the counties' elected officials and several large congregations in the affected counties.

On the other hand representatives from two of the affected countries have proposed another exemption that would allow parents to exempt their children from vaccination. School nurses are concerned about the repercussions of removing of religious exemptions and the school administrators concern is based on the fear that they do not have the resources or power to enforce the immunization requirements.

Potential Options

The city leadership should conduct an investigation to verify whether the Whooping cough victims were immunized against the disease. The results of this research can help the official have a better idea of the cause of the deaths. If it is found that the victims were not immunized, then immunization will be receiving more enforcement. If the victims were immunized, the state official would then focus on the quality of the drug used in the immunization and any other possible reasons for the deaths.

The state can conduct a state-wide education process on the advantages of the vaccination to reduce the number of people looking to be exempted or exempt their children from immunization. This can be followed by a professional investigation into the authenticity of the vaccination to put the mind of people at peace concerning the vaccination (South New Hampshire University).

Recommendation

1. The state should investigate the circumstances that led to the deaths of the Whooping cough victims. Apparently knowing the cause of those deaths will help the official seek the solution of the right reason for the deaths rather than just imposing the vaccination (Wilensky, 2017).

2. The state should also invest in informing the public in the advantages of the immunization; this should be aimed at reducing the number of people not getting immunized. Reducing the number of people not immunized can help reduce the number of people in the state at the risk of contracting such diseases should there ever be another outbreak.

3. The state should allocate more funds to public schools and get the state officials to work with the school administration. This is so that, should there ever be the need to enforce certain regulation like the immunization requirements; the school administration will have the power and the resources to enforce the regulations.

References

Teitelbaum, J.B., & Wilensky, S.E. (2017). Essentials of health policy and law (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. ISBN:978-1-287-05754-3

Audibert, F., Jolivet, M., & Chedid, L. Arnon. R., Sela, M., 1982, Successful immunization with a totally synthetic diphtheria vaccine. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 79, 5042.