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Communicable Disease Paper

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Communicable Disease Paper
Jennifer K. Rhodes
University of Phoenix
Public and Community Health
HCS 457
Heather Steiner
March 14, 2011

Communicable Disease Paper Chickenpox is a communicable disease and “one of the classic childhood diseases” (National Institute of Health [NIH], para. 1). In the past, when parents heard a child had come down with chickenpox, parents would form chickenpox parties so other children would contact chickenpox and acquire lifelong immunity. Today another, more controlled method is used for children to benefit from the chickenpox antibodies (Wimer, Emm, & Bader, 2004). This and other information on chickenpox will be expanded on by describing the disease and efforts to control chickenpox by …show more content…

Before the distribution of the chickenpox vaccine in 1995, the main effort to control chickenpox was to keep children out of school during the contagious period which is about a week. The chickenpox virus is airborne and very contagious, it is hard to avoid because people can carry the virus without even knowing they have it. Since 1995, the chickenpox vaccine, Varivax, has become part of the immunization schedule. Children receive two doses of Varivax. The first dose between 12 - 15 months old and the second dose between four and six. Those who are “13 and older who have not received the vaccine and have not had chickenpox should get two doses, 4 - 8 weeks apart” ([NIH], para. 23). 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). Evidence-based interventions include “increasing community demand for vaccinations, enhancing access to vaccination services, and provider- or system-based interventions” (Turnock, 2009, p. 43). Interventions to increase community demand include client

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