Health Law and Ethics Assignment 2022

Running Head: HEALTH LAW AND ETHICS
HEALTH LAW AND ETHICS
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Introduction:
An influenza epidemic or flu epidemic is described as the worldwide spread or infection
of the flu. It affects a significant part of the demographic population. Influenza flu in
Victoria is common and occurs around every year affecting a large number of
communities. The substantial population affected by the flu is the children,
older adults, and aged care residents. According to Victoria State Government
(2019), in the year 2019, around 76 deaths have been observed due to the
epidemic, among which the highest number of individual are the children.
The demise includes around 61 older individuals of the aged care residents,
five children, and ten older adults. The figures in increasing every year
making it a significant health concern for the population of Australia. In the
year 2019, the total number population observed to be affected by the flu is
around 36,440 which are approximately 12 times the last year. In July, the
whole numbers of influenza flu recorded are 2851 which had been increased
to 5052 in the year 2017. According to the Victoria State Government (2019), in
the year 2019, the onset of flu has been observed in the individual much
earlier as compared to the previous years. One of the primary reasons
behind the exceeding prevalence rate of influenza infection in the Victorian
population is the lack of awareness regarding vaccination. Hence by
analysing the prevalence and incidence data of the influenza flu among the
Victorian community, it can be stated that protection against flu among the
population is necessary as it hinders the ethical consideration of other

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patient such as, autonomy, beneficence, justice and non- maleficence. With
the aid of vaccination, the total prevalence and incidence rate of the
influenza infection is supposed to be reduced.
This discussion intends to focus on the importance of vaccination
among the Victorian population to reduce the impact of epidemic flu and is
ethical impact on the public. The study includes the critical analysis of the
healthcare policies and principles for such epidemics along with their
strength and limitation. Argumentation is also incorporated in the discussion
which aims to logical and clear arguments along with recommendation which
is evidence-based.
Critical analysis:
Influenza is commonly termed as flu which is caused by the influenza
virus. It is an infectious disease and hence can be transmitted from infected
individual to the healthy individual via different means, which can be
considered as one of the principal cause behind the flu epidemic (Yao et al.
2019). There is no proper treatment which can completely eradicate the signs
and symptoms of influenza; hence, the only way to get rid of the flu is to
apply the prevention strategy. Vaccination of flu has been proved to provide
effective prevention against flu in future. Vaccination aims to protect against
the strains that are responsible for causing flu. According to Littauer
et al.
(2018), vaccination against influenza is one of the most effective methods to
diminish the rate of flu among the public.

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The outbreak of influenza among the Victorian population is observed almost every year,
and due to the lack of immunization, it spreads from one individual to another within a short
period creating an epidemic (Price et al. 2019). It has been observed to hinder the ethical rights
of the patient. Only the patient living in the big cities are getting the privilege of the primary
medical service. According to the ethical principle, justice, the healthcare resources should be
equally distributed among the all the public to enhance the health outcome of the public.
However, in this case, the Victorian population are not able to access the vaccination services.
It also violates other ethical rights of the patient that is Beneficence and non- maleficence.
As according to beneficence, the health practitioner should act to provide best service for
improved health which is violated in the case of Victorian population. As the population are not
much aware about the vaccination, they cannot take appropriate health related decision on their
own which disrupts the autonomy of the patient. This prevalence rate of the flu endemic is
getting increased day by day. To reduce the rate of influenza flu among the Victorian population
Australia has a National Immunization Program (1997), under which all the individual should be
vaccinated once in a year to avoid any harm posed by flu on public health. This program
involves different health professionals, who assess the health of the patient and deliver
immunization (Baxter, Clothier and Perrett 2018). Those who are eligible for vaccination can get
the access of the immunity services, which is Flu immunization service (2019) has been
formulated by the Australian government. Under this program, all the individuals who are at the
higher risk of getting affected with influenza such as, the indigenous populations of Australia,
pregnant women, older adults, new borne should be vaccinated (Grant et al. 2017). Under this
program, the public of the Victoria can get the vaccination at free of cost or low cost. Another
law, Australian Immunisation Register Act 2015 has also been formulated the government to