...Influenza is an important public health problem. Annual influenza-related deaths range of 3,000 ~ 49,000 according to recent estimates, and over 200,000 people are hospitalized seasonal influenza every year of respiratory diseases and heart conditions associated with infection. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent influenza infections in hospitalized or possible death. Advisory Committee (ACIP) on immunization practices recommends that everyone receive Annual influenza vaccination 6 months of age. In addition, all health care personnel (HCP) of the US Department of Health and Human Services Immunization (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health care and other specific recommendations focus on the public health agencies and professional organizations....
Words: 270 - Pages: 2
...Mandatory Influenza Vaccinations Review Shumetria Cleveland English 321 Mandatory Influenza Vaccinations Review Introduction Influenza is a highly, contagious virus that affects the respiratory system. It is transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets by an infected person coughing or sneezing. Influenza is much more serious than the common cold and is preventable. Good hand washing, covering your cough, and good health habits will prevent the spread of influenza and other respiratory diseases. It is onset by chills, fatigue, high fever, cough, sore throat, and body aches are some sign or symptoms of influenza often referred to as the flu. The incubation period is one to four days. Each year, influenza causes a significant increase in illness and death. In the elderly, children, patients with chronic illness and immune compromised disease. Once in a while the influenza changes to a severe disease. In the early 1900 there was a pandemic that killed approximately 20,000,000 people. Scientist later discovered the bacterial that causes the virus by testing the blood. Today physicians are able to keep the bacterial infections under control with antibiotics. In 2009 the swine flu epidemic caused illness, stole lives and flashed a light on health care workers to get mandatory influenza vaccinations. Some institutions, for the first time, implemented policies for mandatory influenza vaccines for health care workers due to the escalation of the swine flu...
Words: 2189 - Pages: 9
...science supports the influenza vaccination. Research studies have been done since the development of the flu vaccine in 1945 and documented as the first vaccinations were given to the soldiers in WWII. Many kinds of influenza vaccination studies have been done by medical research teams including the Center for Disease Control. The Efficacy and effectiveness of influenza vaccines: a systematic review and meta analysis was researched by Michael Osterholm and his associates by reviewing over 5000 studies of the influenza vaccine. Many articles since then have commented on this meta-analysis and have gone further to expand the question of does the flu vaccine decrease pneumonia in the elderly. Results are such that the confounding conditions of the study needed to be adjusted fully and the studies re-evaluated. Another question arises. Does mandatory vaccination of healthcare workers decrease the spread of the flu virus within the hospital. Evidence for consistent high-level protection is elusive for the present generation of vaccines, especially in those at risk of medical complications and those aged 65 years or older. Does Science Support the Flu Shot? Since the discovery of the influenza virus and the subsequent development of the flu vaccine, has there been enough science research to support the effectiveness and efficacy of the flu vaccine? Influenza also known as the flu is a viral infection. The flu is caused by influenza viruses A and B, and...
Words: 3688 - Pages: 15
...Influenza in the Elderly Julia Ford, Debbie Garris, Lisa Harper, and Monica Jackson December 20, 2011 Mamie Williams Influenza in the Elderly The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 was responsible for the deaths of more than 50 million people worldwide and is known as a national disaster (CDC, 2011). Even with historical facts about influenza and how easily it is spread, some still refuse to receive the vaccination. Myths and misconceptions about the flu vaccine is the main reason that people refuse to take the flu vaccination. Some of the myths surrounding why people will not take the influenza vaccine include the flu shot can cause the flu, healthy people do not require the influenza vaccine, and the vaccination is a government experiment. Another myth is that working around sick people causes flu immunity. The elderly is one of many populations vulnerable to influenza. Epidemiology as it relates to influenza in the elderly is the topic of discussion for this paper. This paper will make use of the Epidemiological Triangle to explain the disease process of influenza, prevention of the disease, and evaluation of prevention. Definition and Description of Epidemiology Stanhope and Lancanster defines epidemiology as “the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations, and the application of this study to control of health problems” (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2008, p...
Words: 2784 - Pages: 12
...Influenza Disease Linnette Corona Grand Canyon University (NRS-427V) 06/14/2014 Influenza Disease Influenza is an infectious viral disease also commonly known as ‘flu’ that is caused by diverse strains of influenza viruses. The virus belongs to ‘Orthomyxoviridae’ which is a distinct group of virus family. This virus comprises of a single stranded, segmented RNA (Jeffery et. al, 2008). Influenza (flu) virus primarily attacks the respiratory system and is highly transmissible. As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC (2014) “the virus may infect the nose, throat and lungs.” The disease can cause mild to severe illness often resulting in hospitalization or death. The viral strains of influenza viruses are constantly changing and appear regularly that are responsible for many pandemics around the world (Taubenberger & Morens 2008). Clinical Course Influenza is a contagious disease; the virus is easily transmitted from person to person via respiratory droplets when infected people cough, talk or sneeze. Another way to get infected with influenza is if the person touches its own mouth or nose after having direct contact with a surface that has the influenza virus (CDC, 2014). The influenza virus may be transmitted one day before the first symptoms start and even up to seven days after getting ill with the flu. In seasonal epidemics, influenza tends to spread rapidly. As reported by the CDC (2014), the infection may seem like...
Words: 1772 - Pages: 8
...ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION Benefits of Influenza Vaccination for Low-, Intermediate-, and High-Risk Senior Citizens Kristin L. Nichol, MD, MPH; J. Wuorenma, RN, BSN; T. von Sternberg, MD Background: Vaccination rates for healthy senior citizens are lower than those for senior citizens with underlying medical conditions such as chronic heart or lung disease. Uncertainty about the benefits of influenza vaccination for healthy senior citizens may contribute to lower rates of utilization in this group. Objective: To clarify the benefits of influenza vaccina- tion among low-risk senior citizens while concurrently assessing the benefits for intermediate- and high-risk senior citizens. Methods: All elderly members of a large health maintenance organization were included in each of 6 consecutive study cohorts. Subjects were grouped according to risk status: high risk (having heart or lung disease), intermediate risk (having diabetes, renal disease, stroke and/or dementia, or rheumatologic disease), and low risk. Outcomes were compared between vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects after controlling for baseline demographic and health characteristics. Results: There were more than 20 000 subjects in each pitalizations (P .001), a 32% decrease in hospitalizations for all respiratory conditions (P .001), and a 27% decrease in hospitalizations for congestive heart failure (P .001). Immunization was also associated with a 50% reduction in all-cause mortality (P .001). Within the risk...
Words: 6723 - Pages: 27
...Immunization is a very controversial topic including the issue of mandatory flu vaccination for front-line health care workers. Health care workers are the front-line workers to whom patients are first exposed to during the initial encounter to medical system. Influenza is commonly referred to as the seasonal flu which strikes 5% to 15% of the world’s population with approximately 3 to 5 million severe cases of illness which leads to 250000 to 500000 deaths annually (World Health Organization [WHO], 2014). In addition, hospital acquired influenza has a 16% mortality rate which increases to 60% in high-risk population groups (Cortes-Penfield, 2014). Specifically in Canada, the average rate of influenza infection is 10% to 20% of the population...
Words: 2448 - Pages: 10
...and other physical factors is a very important aspect of public health nursing. Epidemiology allows the public health nurse to study and assess vulnerable populations, including the elderly, and create interventions that maximize the health potential of all members of the public. This paper will explore the role of epidemiology and also discuss the definition and purpose of epidemiology, epidemiological methods, the epidemiological triangle and levels of prevention that is related with influenza in the elderly community. Definition and Description of Epidemiology Originally, epidemiology was a term that was used to describe the spread of infectious disease. Over the course of time, that definition has expanded considerably in order to accommodate the complexity of ever-changing populations, their environments, and increasing occurrences of disease. Epidemiology is a branch of public health that studies of the frequency, distribution, and determinants of disease in human populations. It studies the patterns of diseases in human populations and how to control health problems associated with disease. The epidemiologist performs research on epidemics and diseases and can determine how and why certain diseases occur in certain places, and works to find solutions to prevent these diseases. Epidemiology is now defined as the multidisciplinary study of various states of health, causal factors, how these states of health are dispersed across a population, and ways in which the...
Words: 2100 - Pages: 9
...• ^ International Committee on onomy of Viruses. "The Universal Virus Database, version 4: Influenza A". http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ICTVdb/ICTVdB/00.046.0.01.htm. [dead link] 1. ^ a b c d e f "Swine influenza". The Merck Veterinary Manual. 2008. ISBN 1442167424. http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/121407.htm. Retrieved April 30, 2009. 2. ^ [1][dead link] 3. ^ Heinen PP (15 September 2003). "Swine influenza: a zoonosis". Veterinary Sciences Tomorrow. ISSN 1569-0830. http://www.vetscite.org/publish/articles/000041/print.html. "Influenza B and C viruses are almost exclusively isolated from man, although influenza C virus has also been isolated from pigs and influenza B has recently been isolated from seals." 4. ^ Bouvier NM, Palese P (September 2008). "THE BIOLOGY OF INFLUENZA VIRUSES". Vaccine 26 Suppl 4 (Suppl 4): D49–53. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.07.039. PMC 3074182. PMID 19230160. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=3074182. 5. ^ Kimura H, Abiko C, Peng G et al. (April 1997). "Interspecies transmission of influenza C virus between humans and pigs". Virus Research 48 (1): 71–9. doi:10.1016/S0168-1702(96)01427-X. PMID 9140195. 6. ^ a b Matsuzaki Y, Sugawara K, Mizuta K et al. (February 2002). "Antigenic and Genetic Characterization of Influenza C Viruses Which Caused Two Outbreaks in Yamagata City, Japan, in 1996 and 1998". Journal of Clinical Microbiology 40 (2): 422–9. doi:10.1128/JCM.40.2.422-429...
Words: 8637 - Pages: 35
...Epidemiology by definition is the study of the distribution and patterns of health-events, health- characteristics and their causes or influences in well-defined populations. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive medicine. Epidemiologists are involved in the design of studies, collection and statistical analysis of data, and interpretation and dissemination of results (including peer review and occasional systematic review).Major areas of epidemiological study include outbreak investigation, disease surveillance and biomonitoring, and comparisons of treatment effects such as in clinical trials. Epidemiologists rely on a number of other scientific disciplines such as biology (to better understand disease processes), biostatistics (to make efficient use of the data and draw appropriate conclusions), and exposure assessment and social science disciplines (to better understand proximate and distal risk factors, and their measurement). I would like to discuss elderly patients as my vulnerable population. There is no set age at which a person maybe under the care of a geriatric physician. The physician aims to promote health by preventing disease and disabilities in geriatric adults. A gerontologist specializes in the aging process. Adult medicine differs from the geriatric patient because the focus is on the elderly...
Words: 5272 - Pages: 22
...To analyze the efficacy of 'Nanopatch Technology' as a potential vaccine delivery system Introduction: More than 17 million people die every year from infectious diseases –most in low resource regions – and many of these lives could be saved by appropriate vaccinations. (UNDP, 1996) Whilst public and private research initiatives continue, to develop novel vaccines for many diseases, the issue of how best to formulate, package, distribute and administer these vaccines across the world remains a significant unsolved problem. Most vaccines have been delivered by the needle and syringe, however this technology has several important disadvantages including needlestick injuries, disease transmission through needle reuse, (Ekwueme et al., 2002) limited thermostability, the need for training/ expertise for administration, lack of targeting to immune rich regions of the body, and the issues of pain/phobia that result in avoidance of medical care in nearly 10% of the population. One of the ways to meet the vaccination challenges worldwide is to engineer better ways of administering vaccines in a simple and effective way to more people than is currently the case (Hickling et al., 2011). Hypodermic needles were first introduced in the 1850s and since then, intramuscular injection of vaccines has been the most popular delivery method due to its ease of administration (Mitragotri, 2005). However, this technology has several disadvantages. Firstly, muscle contains relatively few antigen presenting...
Words: 2518 - Pages: 11
...Epidemiology Paper Name: Course: Date: Epidemiology Paper Influenza or simply flu is one of the most devastating communicable diseases. This is because it is transmitted through the air we breathe. This simply means that being in the company of a mammal or bird that is infected is more than good enough reason for one to get infected (Naff, 2011). Influenza is caused by an influenza virus which can be of one of three types. Type A and B results to a high degree of infections. These two types are responsible for severe respiratory infections and in some cases death. Influenza virus type C on the other hand does not lead to severe respiratory infection and only causes minimal respiratory infections with little or no symptoms at all. The influenza virus is capable of modifying itself once in the body of the host. This occurs through mutation whereby vaccinations and treatment develop antibodies that go against the virus. Naff (2011) explains that this causes the virus to adjust for its survival and as a result develop into a new form that the antibodies do not see as harmful. The virus therefore has the capability of infecting a host at any time. However, it is possible for initial antibodies to recognize the mutated virus as a harmful component thereby limiting the degree of infection. In the epidemic involving the H1N1 virus in 2009, very few individuals had antibodies that could fight the virus. The flu has a number of symptoms which...
Words: 1568 - Pages: 7
...The Influenza Virus & Vaccine Efficacy Amy Snyder Bryant & Stratton College Microbiology Shane Wesener 6 November 2014 Abstract: Why is the flu vaccine so controversial? There always seems to be two strong, opposing sides in terms of its efficacy or safety, separated by innumerable studies that range from black and white, to grey area conclusions. Worldwide, the influenza virus is often associated with serious health events, and immunizations are considered a key component in preventing a majority of these consequences. With this year’s flu season in full swing, the influenza vaccine is available in nearly every pharmacy, hospital, and clinic, yet many people wonder if the flu shot is a good choice for them. Introduction: The influenza virus (the flu) is an acute, infectious, respiratory disease that’s caused by an orthmyxovirus, and consists of three main strains of the virus: A, B, and C, with two types of A and one of B being the cause of most of the accounted for flu. It infects the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract, where the effected cells die in part from the direct effects of the virus, and also because of the body’s interferon system, which may play a role in decreasing the production of the virus (Hunt, 2010, recovery, p 1). Outbreaks usually occur in colder climates, and is spread by person to person contact, fomites, or aerosol particles (Hunt, M., 2010, Virology). Symptoms of the flu experienced by most of the population range...
Words: 1903 - Pages: 8
...Case 1 Assignment: Vaccines Submitted to: Dr. Nicole Welch GNED 1102-014 Controversies in Science Tuesday and Thursday 11:00am – 12:20pm Due Date: October 14, 2015 Submitted by: Danielle Cruz 2016150214 Table of Contents Peer-Reviewed, Scientific, Primary Research Article. “Efficacy, Safety, and Immunogenicity of a vero-cell-culture-derived trivalent influenza vaccine: a multi-centre, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial” by P Noel Barrett et al. 3 Background 3 Research Purpose 3 Research methods 4 Participants and Study Design 4 Randomization and masking 4 Procedures 4 Results 5 Interpretation/Conclusion 6 Media Articles Discussing the Effectiveness and Safety of the Influenza Vaccine 6 Potential Biases in Media Articles 8 Is the Influenza Vaccine Safe to Use? 9 Is the Influenza Vaccine Effective? 9 Works Cited 10 Peer-Reviewed, Scientific, Primary Research Article. “Efficacy, Safety, and Immunogenicity of a vero-cell-culture-derived trivalent influenza vaccine: a multi-centre, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial” by P Noel Barrett et al. Background Knowledge of what sort of protection vaccines does to people is restricted. Because there are constant changes in the...
Words: 1673 - Pages: 7
...Rough notes Vaccination statistics in Canada: Descripition of issue (concepts, diagrams, definitions) (1 and 2) Possible options: provide a thorough discussion of options (3 and 4) Analysis of societal, economical, political, and environmental impact of the issue and solutions provided (5) Final recommendation- If we force kids to stay in school up until their 16 then hwy is it wrong to force them to get vaccinated, especially considering the fact that vaccinations are beneficial Slide 1 Should we force students to be immunized in schools? -Many diseases are spread due to contact with an infected person. -Schools are the perfect spreading grounds for infections -Incidence of common childhood illnesses such as polio, measles, tetanus, etc has significantly declined since the advent and use of vaccines. These diseases are unheard of nowadays. Picture of polio in africa eradication Pictures of polio graphs Slide 2 What are vaccines / how do they work? -Vaccine: a substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases, prepared from the causative agent of a disease, its products, or a synthetic substitute, treated to act as an antigen without inducing the disease. -Vaccines are a safe and cost-effective way to maintain public health and prevent diseases. -Discovered by Edward Jenner more than 200 years ago -Several ways of developing a vaccine -Possible options are to: Inactivate the virus, weaken...
Words: 1865 - Pages: 8
