...Vaccines are responsible for many global public health successes, such as the eradication of smallpox and important reductions in other serious infections like polio and measles. Even so, vaccinations have also long been the subject of various ethical arguments. The key ethical debates related to vaccine regulation, development, and use generally revolve. “A discussion of the ethics of vaccine rationing leads to a review of suffering due to pneumonia, particularly in the elderly” (Zimmerman, 2007). Rationing of scarce vaccine supplies will likely be required when the next pandemic occurs, raising the questions about how to ration and upon what principles. Because, influenza pandemics have differing mortality patterns occur. Vaccine manufacturers and essential healthcare workers can be justified with either principle. Therefore, the unequal principles of choosing based on social worth or those in whom vaccination is most likely to medically succeed raise substantial justice issues. “A healthy person is unlikely to die from the flu and therefore does not need the vaccine as much as a senior, an asthmatic, or others who are at-risk of serious complications” (Ludwig, 2014). Equal principles of medical neediness and random chance avoid justice concerns and are proposed. A framework that uses multiple principles to address influenza vaccine rationing in light of a shortage is recommended. As the various prioritization models would suggest, there is no single, simple solution for allocating...
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...Vaccinemakers largely rely on an old technique that exposes ferrets—which differ from humans—to candidate vaccine strains and then assesses whether they can stop viral isolates from people naturally infected with the circulating strains. The BC Centre's Skowronski says many influenza researchers are hesitant to discuss problems with the vaccine "because they are afraid of being tainted with the antivaccine brush. I am going to make universal influenza vaccine my priority over the next couple years," Fauci says. Further, complicating the picture is the immunologic legacy of multiple exposures to influenza each year—from the vaccine and from wild-type virus. Skowronski thinks the field must more aggressively pursue a universal influenza vaccine...
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...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...
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...would want to search that name and see what results come up. For the search I would sites such as Domain.com or godaddy.com to see if it was available to purchase. After deciding on the name of the new site I would then try find out what address is available. When researching the domain name of Free Flu .com was already taken along with .org leaving .net as the only choice. In most circumstances .org would be the way to go as the .org address was for non-profit organizations. However all three are open for any person/ company/ organization to purchase. Finally choosing the amount of web pages or web servers would depend on the size of organization. Considering it is a non profit organization that gives the elderly people with the flu vaccine I would think that they would have limited funds to pay for things like this so some sites like Godaddy.com will provide a certain amount of webpages and web hosting for a fee when you purchase the domain name. In the pages they would need mission statements, a home, and a contact page at the very least for their pages. Then the web server is there to hold all of the organizations information such as volunteers or members, names of those that get the shots, when the last time they had a shot and the next time they are eligible for the next one. So in this case I would go with a application server to meet those...
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...Influenza Introduction Influenza is among the most prevalent infectious airborne viral diseases that affect the respiratory system. According to the World Health Organization (2016), the infection majorly affects the throat, nose, and the bronchi, and on rare occasions, it may affect the lungs. Also commonly known as the flu, influenza infection is characterized by sneezing, itchy and running nose as well as throat inflammation. The initial signs and symptoms include fever with temperatures higher that 100F, soreness in the back, myalgia, legs and arm muscles, sweats and chills, frontal or retro-orbital headaches, tachycardia, red, watery eyes, and fatigue. Sometimes, a dry and persistent cough, nasal congestion and discharge occur (Clark & Lynch, 2011). Causes and Transmission The Influenza viruses are transmitted in the form of droplets through the atmosphere whenever an infected individual speaks, coughs or even sneezes. A healthy person can either get infected through directly inhaling these contaminated droplets or obtain the viruses from contaminated objects like computer keyboards, mouses or even the phones, and move them to the respiratory pathways like the nose and mouth. According to Clark & Lynch (2011), the infected individuals become contagious a day before the appearance of the first symptoms and continue in this state up to 5 to 10 days after. Studies have revealed that young children and individuals with compromised immune systems remain in the contagious...
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...What is the flu and how can our company prevent the spread of it As the new flu season approaches it is important for our company to have a clear understanding of how the flu could affect the members of our staff and productivity of our company during the upcoming flu season. Per the CDC there is shortage of the influenza vaccine, thus it is appropriate for our company to have procedures and guidelines as to how we will prevent multiple contaminations among our staff. The Influenza virus is a contagious respiratory illness that is a very aggressive because it changes and adapts to vaccines annually. The virus can be transmitted among humans in three ways by direct contact with infected individuals, by contact with contaminated objects and by the inhalation of virus-laden aerosols. There are many symptoms of the Flu which include fever or feeling feverish/ chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle/ body aches and fatigue. More common in children than adults are vomiting and diarrhea. The typical recovery period of someone with the flu is a few day to two weeks but sometimes when the immune system is weaken people will develop pneumonia or other more severe complications which can result in death of that individual. There are many ways to prevent the flu from spreading covering your mouth and nose with tissue when you sneeze, immediately washing your hands with soap and water after you sneeze and before you touch your mouth or nose and if soap...
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...Infectious Disease Case Study HSA535 01/20/2012 Identify the transmission and symptoms of the flu, treatments that are currently available, and how your organization can help mitigate the spread of this disease. In preparing a report for leadership; I want to inform them on the symptoms and transmission of the flu. Influenza (also known as the flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness and at times can lead to death. The flu is different from a cold. The flu usually comes on suddenly. People who have the flu often fee some or all these symptoms: fever or feeling feverish/chills( please note that not everyone that have the flu will have a fever) Cough Sore throat Runny or stuffy nose Muscle or body aches Fatigue(tiredness) Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea( though this is more common in children than adults) Most people who get influenza will recover in a few days to less than two weeks, but some people will develop complications (such as pneumonia) as a result of the flu, some of which can be life-threatening and result in death. The flu is transmitted: Person to Person People with flu can spread it to others up to about 6 feet away. Most experts think that flu viruses are spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Less...
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...5 myths about the flu: In a new survey by Consumer Reports, only 30% of respondents were "very confident" that this year's flu shot is safe. That leaves many doctors and scientists perplexed. Of all the many things to fear in the world, they say, vaccines should be at the bottom of the list. USA TODAY's Liz Szabo talked to vaccine safety experts to address some of the most common myths. Myth 1: The flu shot causes the flu. The viruses in the flu shot are dead, so they can't give people the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its most common side effect is soreness in the arm. FluMist nasal spray contains weakened viruses, so they don't cause severe, flu-like symptoms, either. Side effects in children can include a runny nose, wheezing and headache. So why do some people swear that they got sick right after getting a flu shot? Flu shots tend to be given at a time of year when respiratory viruses are beginning to circulate, doctors say. So it's only natural that some people will catch a respiratory bug shortly after getting a vaccine. And since it takes about two weeks after getting a vaccine for the body to develop immunity, some of those bugs could be the flu. But the vaccine itself isn't causing disease. Myth 2: The flu is just a bad cold. While some people develop worse symptoms than others, flu symptoms tend to be much more severe than — and come on much more suddenly — than a cold. Many who got H1N1 (swine flu) last year were out of work...
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...that leadership in the organization will ask in regard to possible side effects of the treatments, propose three (3) lessons that have been learned from past flu seasons that will underscore the importance of preparing for the upcoming flu season and why these lessons are beneficial, propose two (2) recommendations to leadership on how to cope with the shortage of the flu vaccine, and compose an infection control policy for the local community. Identify The Transmission And Symptoms Of the Flu, Treatments That Are Currently Available, And How Your Organization Can Help Mitigate The Spread Of This Disease Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses and is often called flu. Flu is not a cold; it can be mild, severe and sometimes often results in death. When people got flu, they feel the following symptoms: • Fever or feeling feverish/chills • Cough • Sore throat • Runny or stuffy nose • Muscle or body aches • Fatigue or tiredness • Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea The recovery time of influenza is usually less than two weeks but sometimes flu results in other health complications like pneumonia and other life-threatening diseases (Flu Symptoms & Severity, 2011). Flu can be transmitted from person to person. It can spread to people who come...
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...1.0 Introduction Avian influenza is that infection with avian (bird) influenza (flu) Type A viruses. These viruses exist easily among wild aquatic birds all around the world and make those poultry be infected, as well as other bird and animal species. Avian flu viruses hardly infect humans. However, sporadic human infections with avian flu viruses have happened. (Communication, 2014) 2.0 Causes Viruses belonging to the A type of influenza viruses cause avian influenza. Sometimes a virus can break. These mutations agree with a bird virus to infect pigs or humans. Humans who have intimate contact with infected birds can then contract the virus. There is also concern that the virus can mutate to allow it to pass between humans. Bird flu occurs...
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...Each year the influenza virus will infect anywhere between 5-20% of our Nations population and upwards of 200,000 will become hospitalized for further treatments from complications. Most cases can occur between the months of October through May among those January and February is the peak months of the flu season. People most at risk of complications are the elderly above 65 years or older, children younger than 2 years old, and anyone who have chronic health conditions. The influenza viruses are a respiratory illness that is a contagious infection that could be mild to severe in most cases but can lead to death if untreated. When you are infected you can be contagious from the day before symptoms appear up to seven days later. Most time the viruses spread from face to face contact with someone who is infected but the virus can also be passed on if touching a contaminated surface and then touching one’s mouth, eyes, or nose. The virus could last between one to two weeks before symptoms subside. The best way to minimize your chances of contracting an influenza virus is to get the flu vaccine each year. The flu vaccine was first isolated in 1930’s and during the 1940’s a vaccine was produced. Today, flu vaccines are available by shot or nasal spray. Currently scientist at NIAID are clinically testing the idea of an universal influenza vaccine that will combat any and all strains of flu viruses but more testing in needed. Hopefully with this medical advancement there will...
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...companies. First of all swine flu is not more dangerous than seasonal flu so why would you need to protect yourselves from it? The numbers show that swine flu killed so far around 250 people around the world from April 26, 2009 when pandemic was officially announced by WHO. Whereas seasonal flu caused more than 13000 deaths only in the area of U.S and only from period from January till April 2009.It can be clearly inferred that seasonal flu is much more dangerous and fatal in consequences than swine flu. The risk of dying or having severe health complications is much greater when getting infected by typical influenza virus. If people do want to feel safer and protect themselves by getting a vaccination shot ,they should consider vaccine against seasonal flu which is responsible for more victims in the world than any other disease. Secondly, all reports investigating if vaccines...
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...Summary of “A Cell-Based Systems Biology Assessment of Human Blood to Monitor Immune Responses after Influenza Vaccination The goal of this study was to create methods and define protocols that may be used in future systems vaccinology studies. Having these tools at the ready can lend a hand in investigating the various reactions of different cell types to the immune response generated after vaccination. Scientists used influenza vaccinations in this study. Among the questions addressed the most important was if it was possible to develop these protocols and methods to study immune response to vaccinations in various individuals. One question addressed was how to “investigate the contribution of individual cell types to the immune response after vaccination.” (Hoek) Another question was is there any changes in protein-coding or non-coding RNA transcripts after vaccination. To answer their questions, the scientists established an efficient way to purify human T and B cells, natural killer (NK) cells, myeloid dendritic cells, monocytes and neutrophils from venous blood. Having this method not only helps conclude a hypothesis, but can be used in the future to help other scientists conduct their experiment. Using this high dimensional molecular approach, scientists can use systems biology to identify changes in the blood caused by vaccinations or other perturbations. Their results reveal that RNA and protein expression profiles from each individual sorted cell type differ from...
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... The benefit of developing healthy workforce is two-fold offering a more productive work environment and limiting absenteeism which is associated with the flu. The flu vaccination potentially can provide a tremendous return on investment. So using the cost on return allowed me to investigate and compare the benefit to cost. Research The cost and benefit the company receives from vaccinated employees as compared with the benefits of receiving a free flu vaccination. Listed are the various probabilities: * Probability of catching the flu * Probability vaccinated and catching the flu * Percentage of the population who receive the flu vaccine each...
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...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...
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