N490 Module 5 Essay

Numerous studies have been conducted on the advantages of receiving an annual flu vaccine with an emphasis on the health related benefits at the forefront of each study. With the pros and cons of healthcare workers receiving an influenza vaccination being weighed, and findings suggesting the benefit(s) of vaccination outweigh the risks, another testament to the benefits of influenza vaccination has been researched which identifies an area of interest which may be intriguing to people; the financial aspect. Carolyn Buxton Bridges, MD; William W. Thompson, PhD; Martin I. Meltzer, PhD; Gordon R. Reeve, PhD; Walter J. Talamonti, MD, MPH; Nancy J. Cox, PhD; Heather A. Lilac, RN; Henrietta Hall, BS; Alexander Klimov, PhD; Keiji Fukuda, MD, MPH (2000)

Health care governments have endorsed an assortment of vaccination policies and mediations to safeguard against the known dangers of influenza communication, with longer patient stays, absenteeism, intermissions in health care, and death. Studies assessing the consequence of health care workers vaccination found that health care workers influenza vaccination was linked with a decrease in patient death (Murana, 2014). Assessing the results of health care worker influenza vaccination on patient results anticipated that if all health care workers were vaccinated, patient influenza infections could be stopped.

Do you go every year to receive your flu shot? Is it a tradition to take your family to go get vaccinated? For health care workers it is mandatory. Some other occupations require flu shots as well. The flu is a very communicable disease. Anyone can get sick from the flu, it may even be fatal. Health care workers are exposed to many different kinds of germs and many other harmful pathogens daily. It should be required for every personal to get a flu shot to help stop the spread of the flu virus and make for a healthier community.

Vaccinations have been a topic of controversy among various populations for decades. The controversy exists around the decision to be vaccinated for certain contagious diseases or to omit receiving vaccinations for various reasons including those of medical, ethical, and religious derivation. The profession of healthcare faces a particular obstacle in regard to annual vaccinations against influenza. This review will discuss the following ethical debate: Is it ethical to mandate health care workers to receive annual influenza vaccinations? For the purposes of this review, the term ‘health care worker’ will be defined as any person who is employed by a health care institution and participates in personal interactions with patients. Undoubtedly, registered nurses (RNs) are among the most prevalent of all health care workers. This topic was chosen because influenza is a rampant and contagious respiratory virus that carries the potential to infect anyone. According the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (2014), approximately 5 to 15 percent of the United States population becomes infected with influenza annually and roughly 200,000 people are hospitalized each year due to influenza. Clearly, influenza generates havoc for many people; however, the virus can be largely prevented by receiving an annual vaccination. Annual influenza vaccinations have been rendered the best way to prevent seasonal influenza and have also been deemed safe (CDC, 2014). Health care workers

I highly advise you to be vaccinated. Vaccine-preventable diseases haven’t gone away; the viruses and bacteria that cause illness and death still exist and can be passed on to those who are not protected by vaccines. In a time when people can travel across the globe in just one day, it’s not hard to see just how easily diseases can travel too. In the US, vaccine-preventable infections kill more individuals annually than HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, or traffic accidents. Approximately 50,000 adults die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases in the US. Diseases not only have a direct impact on individuals and their families, but also carry a high price tag for society as a whole, exceeding $10 billion per year in direct and indirect costs. An average influenza illness can last up to 15 days, typically with five or six missed work days. So please, for your safety and suitability, please be vaccinated. It can mean the difference between life and

Health care workers will continue to lower rates of flu vaccination. While certainly factors in the proliferation of the vaccine low rate, influenza, was identified as one of several factors that affect the cross-transmission of influenza disease. Other factors may include the failure of HCWs to comply with the universally low immunization rate and continues to infection control practices among all people. Research presented above is by vaccination; remove the perceived or actual barriers support the need to increase the HCW influenza vaccination. At the same time, the lack of a vaccine in other population groups will require the same attention (Sullivan, 2009). Current CDC guidelines do not require hospitals to mandate flu vaccinations of

Many instances have been noted that healthcare providers are bringing the infection to the patients and not the patients bring the infection to the staff. Furthermore, It is well documented that nosocomial infection occurs (Rice, 2010) and hospitalized individuals face more complications and greater mortality from influenza. Healthcare providers are indirectly causing undo harm to patients that are more susceptible to infections such as influenza. “In nursing home settings, vaccination of healthcare workers has been shown to decrease morbidity and mortality among nursing home residents” (Babcock, et al., 2010, p. 459). One study suggests that there is a higher rate of occurrence of influenza among healthcare providers than residents. “In elder-care settings, influenza among staff precedes illness among residents, suggesting that health care workers introduce the virus into the setting” (Anikeeva, Braunack-Mayer, & Rogers, 2009, p. 25).

To increase patient and hcw safety, health care workers should be mandate to get vaccination. Hcw are more at risk to get infection because of their contact with patient and then to spread it to patients, specially patients who are susceptible to the infection (CITATION). Influenza symptoms appears within 1-4 days. Before even hcw workes know that they have influenza infection and they are contagious, they may spread the infection to patient . Also, if hcw are infected, it will cause impact on their mental and physical functioning. Two randomly conducted studies have supported that mandatory influenza vaccination for hcw helped in decreasing death rate upto 44% in nursing home residents (Ottenberg, 2011). Potter et. al. identified that because of increased staff vaccination mortality rate reduced from 17% to 10% (Suillivan, 2010). The other fact which can effect patient safety due to low rate of vaccination is absenteeism of hcw during influenza epidemic.

It is important that health care providers step in more aggressively to inform parents on the importance of getting their children vaccinated, and to follow the recommended schedule of getting them done. Positive results of getting your child vaccinated would be that the health care costs of treating these diseases would decrease, healthier children can lead to healthier seniors. In research done by Cohen, Ahmed, Klaassen, Agree, Louis, and Naumova, they studied to see the rates of children vaccinated against influenza(flu) and the rates at which seniors were getting the flu. There showed to be a positive connection with the higher rates of children vaccinated against the flu and low rates at which seniors were getting sick with the flu. Health care providers also need to focus on the parents that are refusing to vaccinate because they are

People are dying every second to a variety of reasons, some that could be prevented others where that is not the case. However, experts agree that influenza and influenza related deaths could be significantly prevented if people took the influenza vaccine annually. The influenza virus is a deadly virus that has been killing people since the 1900s; in 1918 the first recorded epidemic of a strain of influenza known as the Spanish flu killed approximately 50 million people ("Pandemic Flu History"). Because people did not know what the virus was or how to fight against it, it spread very fast. However, after the vaccine was made, later epidemics such as the 1957, 1968, and 2009 epidemics were not as fatal, killing approximately one million people worldwide. Vaccines played a large role in human history in fighting and preventing diseases from annihilating human beings. This paper will discuss the economic aspects of whether it should be mandatory for hospital health care workers to take the flu vaccine.

In America, around forty-five percent of children age 6-17 have received a flu shot in the past twelve months. About twenty-six percent of adults who are 18-49 have received the same immunization. Forty-three percent of those 50-64, and sixty-seven percent of those sixty-five and older have received the flu vaccine in the past year. There were only 1,532 deaths from influenza that year (Influenza, 2014). In a country of over three hundred million, this is an incredible small number, especially given how fast diseases can spread from person to

The use of pharmacists to administer immunizations has evolved rapidly over the past 2 decades. In 1995, only nine states allowed pharmacists to immunize. With many states only allowing pharmacists to administer the influenza vaccine at first and initially has expanded in most states. Pharmacists can help improve immunization rates by assessing each patient for their immunization status, recommending and offering or referring for any immunizations that may be needed, in accordance with the NVAC (National Vaccine Advisory Committee) Adult Immunization Standards. Pharmacist clearly have the ability and pharmaceutical background of understanding medicine, and any side effects,

Recent reports from the CDC have indicated that the flu vaccine is not easily available in the market. Based on this one reason, the report has suggested that 50% of at-risk population who have contracted the virus will not be able to receive inoculations for several months. This is one of the main challenges that are to be faced by the organization in the upcoming season.

Influenza causes diseases in all the age groups ,especially in the children, who have the highest infection rate(ACIP,www.cdc.gov).However, the serious illness , severe complications and deaths are more prevalent in older people (> 65 years ) and in those who have medical conditions that can be exacerbated by influenza infection .The recommended target group for influenza vaccination includes the residents of nursing care homes , people suffering with chronic cardiovascular or pulmonary disease , persons with renal dysfunction or hemoglobinopathy, pregnant women in the third trimester and immune-compromised patients(Cox et al 2004 , Van kerkhove et

On a global level, the influenza vaccination in children is recommended and strongly encouraged. These vaccinations are recommended for children especially if they are to be exposed to a daycare or school environment because of the potential for spreading infection. Unfortunately, the influenza vaccine is not administered as needed because of the lack of education about the effectiveness and complications for physicians and parents. Also, the vaccination is not always readily available. Many clinicians vary on there methods and routines of administering the vaccine, although its proven effectiveness warrants a more uniformed practice of delivery. Based on clinical studies, an increase of this vaccination is recommended to protect against the complications and spread of influenza.