Research Investigation: Compulsory Vaccination in Australia - Biology

This biology essay investigates the research claim that it should be compulsory for Australians to vaccinate their children. The essay focuses on the Hepatitis B vaccine, its effectiveness in eradicating the disease, and the rationale behind compulsory vaccination for children. It addresses arguments against vaccination, vaccine hesitancy, and the importance of education for parents. The essay presents evidence-based arguments, including the impact of immunization on reducing preventable illnesses and the role of the National Immunisation Program. It concludes that vaccination is essential for disease eradication and emphasizes the need to address vaccine hesitancy to prevent disease recurrence. The essay also includes an evaluation of the research claim, referencing various studies and articles to support its arguments, emphasizing the importance of continued vaccinations and the role of healthcare professionals in promoting immunization.

Running Head: HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT
HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Research Claim
It should be compulsory for Australians to vaccinate their children.
Research Question
Does the Hepatitis B vaccine help the children in Australia to completely eradicate the
disease?
Rationale
Acute infection and their complications, that includes liver disease and hepatocellular
carcinoma, lead to most of Australia's hepatitis B disease burden. Chronic disease burden has
increased with growing numbers of immigrants from high prevalence hepatitis B areas
(MacDonald et al., 2018; Kroger, 2013).
Hepatitis B is a disease induced by the liver-influencing hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis B
virus can be transferred from an infectious individual through inoculation via broken and
penetrated skin, or through the mucosal contact along with blood and other body fluids which
is primarily vaginal fluids or semen (Kroger, 2013). For children, immunocompromised
individuals, individuals with medical risk factors, people whose occupation raises their risk of
obtaining hepatitis B, including health care employees, vaccination with hepatitis B is
suggested. For babies and kids, vaccination with hepatitis B is advised in a 4-dose timetable
at birth and 2, 4 and 6 months of age.For all other risk groups, vaccination with hepatitis B is
suggested, generally in a 3-dose (MacDonald et al., 2018). Adolescents aged 11–15 may
receive 0 and 6 months of alternative 2-dose timetable. Some individuals become chronically
infected after severe hepatitis B virus infection. The illness can be transmitted by people with
chronic hepatitis B, including from mom to kid. In up to 25 percent of instances, chronic
hepatitis B is connected with cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma death (Smith, 2017).

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Children are advised to receive the 4 doses of the hepatitis B vaccine: one dose of the
monovalent hepatitis B vaccine at birth and 3 doses of the paediatric hepatitis B vaccine at 2,
4 and 6 months of age generally supplied as DTPa-hepB-IPV-Hib. For all newborn babies,
rationale for the birth dosage is to avoid: vertical transmission from a mom with the chronic
hepatitis B, recognition of mistakes or delays in maternal screening, reporting, and
communication or suitable reaction (Kroger, 2013). It is also necessary as it prevents the
horizontal transfer to the infant from individuals with the chronic hepatitis B who are in the
home or in close contacts during the first months of life. The birth dose should be provided to
newborns as quickly as they are stable medically and preferably within 24 hours of birth, but
the vaccine can be administered within the first 7 days. Before the child is released from the
obstetric hospital or delivery unit, every attempt should be created to give the vaccine
(MacDonald et al., 2018).
Thus, it is necessary that the children from the birth are given vaccine for Hepatitis B
disease that will help to eradicate the disease. Thus, this proves the research claim that it
should be compulsory for Australians to vaccinate their children (Said & Abdelwahab, 2015).
Evidence based arguments
There is enough that shows that there have been cases where it is seen that the use of
vaccine has been reduced or refused by a lot of people. Many of the arguments are focused on
fields of medical science distrust. They promote the concept that vaccines are inevitably
hazardous due to the introduction of toxins through vaccination into the body (Kroger, 2013;
MacDonald et al., 2018). Other reasons arise from the wrong information about the immune
system and the reaction of the vaccine, which claims that the use of the vaccine makes the
immune system active, and the natural immunity is good than vaccine-induced immunity.
Here the use and the purpose of the vaccine are entirely ignored (MacDonald et al., 2018).

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There has been a lot of research which shows that the use of vaccines is very
important in order to reduce the burden of Hepatitis B in the Australian children.
Immunizations have resulted in a substantial reduction in the rates of preventable vaccine-
abstract illnesses and have had a major effect on children's health (MacLachlan et al., 2013).
Immunizations have had a huge impact on children's health and disease prevention through
vaccination. As Hepatitis B is a chronic liver disease that is caused due to the Hepatitis B
Virus (HBV) thus, there is a need for the children to get immunized against the disease at
proper time with the prescribed dosage. As there is no cure for the disease thus, the doctors
have to completely depend on the vaccinations so that the disease can be prevented in the
newborns and children (Said & Abdelwahab, 2015).
It is recommended that the newborns should be given the first dose of Hepatitis B
vaccination within 24 hours of their birth because there is a possibility that they might
acquire the infection from their mother that is also known as perinatal infection (MacDonald
et al., 2018; Marshall et al., 2013). If the child acquires the infection at the time of birth then
it is going to be chronic and would remain for a longer duration. Thus, in this case without
treatment the child might die. Thus to prevent such a scenario it is important the children are
vaccinated against the disease so that it can be effective in the prevention of the disease.
Thus, in order to counter the vaccine hesitancy that arises due to the poor information
about the way in which the vaccine works or the importance of the use of vaccines it is
necessary that the parents should be educated about the vaccines. This can reduce the
rejection of the parents towards the use of the vaccines. Research shows that the use of the
vaccines can help the healthcare professionals in the reduction of the disease prevalence
(Chang & Chen, 2015; MacDonald et al., 2018; Nowak et al., 2015).

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Conclusion
In addition to protecting your baby from lethal illnesses such as polio, tetanus, and
diphtheria, and Hepatitis B vaccinations also keep other kids secure by eliminating or
significantly reducing hazardous illnesses that used to spread from one child to another.Thus,
it is necessary that the children get vaccinations at a proper age and as per the dosage. This
will benefit the children, their parents and the healthcare staff as well. If the children are not
immunized, then they may spread the infection to other kids who are very young for
vaccination or to the individuals who do not have strong immune systems, such as transplant
recipients and the cancer patients. For these people, this can result in the long-term
complications and even death. As per the research claim and the research question it is thus
seen that the vaccines are very much necessary as well as essential for the eradication of
diseases among the Australian children.
Therefore, we should keep immunizing the child until the disease is eradicated.
Research has highlighted that if the vaccine hesitancy persists or the use of vaccinations is
done mandatory then there are chances of recurrence of a disease that was completely
eradicated. For instance, there was reduction in the immunization rate for pertussis in Japan
that resulted in the outbreak of an endemic. This can be the case anywhere in the world and
thus, there is a need to continue the vaccinations.
Evaluation
Hence, as per the research claim it has been established that vaccines should be used
to eradicate the disease. In order to prove this fact it has been seen that a number of previous
articles state that the use of vaccinations have helped to reduced the burden of a disease in a
specific area or country (Collins et al., 2014). For instance, in Australia itself polio was
considered to be one of the most dreaded diseases and that was removed from the country by

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the use of vaccinations. It is also seen that if the vaccinations or the process of immunization
is stopped then there are chances for the recurrence of the disease. This is due to the fact that
it is almost unknown and is difficult to predict the stage of the disease where it will make a
comeback (Hull et al., 2013).
In order to get a proper hold of the disease and to make sure that the disease is
eradicated completely it is necessary that the healthcare professionals insist the parents to
complete the dosage of the prescribed vaccines and should also educate the parents about the
use and importance of vaccines (Tuckerman, Collins & Marshall, 2015). The Australian
government has started the National Immunisation Program or NIP that ensures that the
supply of vaccine is adequate and they are used efficiently. This program has also increased
the monitoring of the system that has in turn enhanced the rate of the vaccines. It has also
helped in the maintenance of the confidence of the community in the NIP via the use of
various effective communication strategies (Suk‐Fong Lok, 2016; Paul & Fabio, 2014).
The next thing in order to conduct the further research is the regulation of the vaccine
hesitancy that reduces the rate of the disease eradication. There is thus a need to find out the
ways in which this can be controlled and the importance of parent education regarding child
immunization (MacLachlan et al., 2013).

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References
Chang, M. H., & Chen, D. S. (2015). Prevention of hepatitis B. Cold Spring Harbor
perspectives in medicine, 5(3), a021493.
Collins, J., Alona, I., Tooher, R., & Marshall, H. (2014). Increased awareness and health care
provider endorsement is required to encourage pregnant women to be
vaccinated. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 10(10), 2922-2929.
Hull, B. P., Menzies, R., Macartney, K., & McIntyre, P. B. (2013). Impact of the introduction
of rotavirus vaccine on the timeliness of other scheduled vaccines: the Australian
experience. Vaccine, 31(15), 1964-1969.
Kroger, A. T. (2013). General recommendations on immunization.
MacDonald, N. E., Harmon, S., Dube, E., Steenbeek, A., Crowcroft, N., Opel, D. J., ... &
Butler, R. (2018). Mandatory infant & childhood immunization: Rationales, issues
and knowledge gaps. Vaccine, 36(39), 5811-5818.
MacLachlan, J. H., Allard, N., Towell, V., & Cowie, B. C. (2013). The burden of chronic
hepatitis B virus infection in Australia, 2011. Australian and New Zealand journal of
public health, 37(5), 416-422.
Marshall, H. S., McIntyre, P., Richmond, P., Buttery, J. P., Royle, J. A., Gold, M. S., ... &
Dwyer, D. E. (2013). Changes in patterns of hospitalized children with varicella and
of associated varicella genotypes after introduction of varicella vaccine in
Australia. The Pediatric infectious disease journal, 32(5), 530-537.

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Nowak, G. J., Gellin, B. G., MacDonald, N. E., & Butler, R. (2015). Addressing vaccine
hesitancy: the potential value of commercial and social marketing principles and
practices. Vaccine, 33(34), 4204-4211.
Paul, P., & Fabio, A. (2014). Literature review of HPV vaccine delivery strategies:
considerations for school-and non-school based immunization
program. Vaccine, 32(3), 320-326.
Said, Z. N. A., & Abdelwahab, K. S. (2015). Induced immunity against hepatitis B
virus. World journal of hepatology, 7(12), 1660.
Smith T. C. (2017). Vaccine Rejection and Hesitancy: A Review and Call to Action. Open
forum infectious diseases, 4(3), ofx146. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofx146
Suk‐Fong Lok, A. (2016). Hepatitis B: 50 years after the discovery of Australia
antigen. Journal of viral hepatitis, 23(1), 5-14.
Tuckerman, J. L., Collins, J. E., & Marshall, H. S. (2015). Factors affecting uptake of
recommended immunizations among health care workers in South Australia. Human
vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 11(3), 704-712.