University Assignment: Influenza Vaccination Report for Children

This report delves into the critical topic of influenza vaccination among children, addressing the significance of immunization in preventing the flu and its complications. It explores the reasons behind parental objections to vaccination, such as concerns about vaccine safety, effectiveness, and religious beliefs, using a case study of a mother hesitant to vaccinate her child. The report provides detailed background information on influenza, including its global impact and the groups most at risk. Furthermore, it outlines various strategies that healthcare providers, particularly nurses, can employ to promote flu immunization, such as educating the public and utilizing social marketing techniques to address parental concerns and encourage vaccination. The report highlights the importance of vaccination in protecting children from the serious health implications of influenza and emphasizes the role of healthcare professionals in advocating for immunization.

Running Head: INFLUENZA VACCINATION AMONG CHILDREN
Influenza Vaccination among Children
Student’s Name
University Affiliation
Date

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Influenza vaccination among children
Introduction
Many parents are asking a question whenever they take their children to a pediatrician.
Do they have to immunize their children? Some parents have questioned the significance as well
as the need for their children to receive immunization (Canada Newswire, 2015). Their reasons
for doubts or objections differ from lack understanding of what vaccinations entails, religious
beliefs, or fear that their children will in effect acquire serious complications and reactions to the
vaccines. Vaccinations are effective and safe; however, numerous people still have questions
concerning their relevance as well as place in the community. The objective behind
immunization is to establish an environment in which children are free and safe from diseases. It
should be noted that vaccines interact with the immune system of an individual and normally the
interaction results in the body producing an immune response which is the same as the one
produced by a natural infection. Moreover, vaccines do not subject a child receiving the vaccine
to the disease per se or its potential complications. In the United States of America, for instance,
major outbreaks of diseases are virtually unheard since an elaborate immunization which has
been put in place throughout the decades have eliminated or suppressed numerous of potentially
dangerous diseases which the children could possibly contract.
Presently, diseases which are preventable by vaccination like influenza are near or at
record lows. This paper will critically discuss the significance of flu immunization, the
objections of flu immunization as well as the strategies healthcare providers especially nurses
can employ to promote flu immunization. The paper will discuss these issues based on a case
study provided for discussion.

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Background information of influenza
Influenza has been reported to cause an approximated 44100-554000 mortality yearly
globally. Most of the mortality happen among the elderly individuals as well as individuals
having chronic cardiopulmonary diseases, yet the toll entails 29000-112000 deaths among
children who are less than five years old. Due to these global statistics, numerous countries
including Australia have executed influenza immunization programs to reduce the mortality and
morbidity resulting from influenza. The World Health Organization recommends that nations
should consider flu immunization for individuals at higher risk of serious illness from flue or
death (Duvall, 2019). Moreover, the WHO has recognized and identified the following groups of
people at higher risk of influenza, that is, children aged six to fifty-nine months, pregnant
women, people with particular chronic health conditions, elderly adults and healthcare
providers/workers. Historically, flu vaccination programs have been executed majorly in
developed nations. in present years, nevertheless, developing nations have started flu
immunization programs. Furthermore, policy makers in both developed and developing nations
are progressively examining how and whether to execute new flu immunization programs.
Increasing the number of individuals immunized every year against seasonal flu is an objective
of numerous private and public health programs not only in the United States of America but
also globally.
In the U.S., seasonal flu is a disease results in hospitalization, substantial illness as well
as deaths yearly, and results in mortality from other causes like congestive cardiac failure and
pneumonia. It should be noted that seasonal flu places children, older adults aged sixty-five years
and older and individuals of any age who are suffering from chronic health conditions like
diabetes, asthma and overweight at greater risks for serious illness and loss of lives. Moreover,

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the economic impact of flu is also significant, with a public health report indicating that yearly
economic cost of seasonal flu in the U.S. is about $88 billion, entailing $11 billion in direct
health costs (Freimuth et al., 2017). Yearly flu immunization is the most efficient means of
preventing flu as well as its complications; in the last decade, the united states of America
advisory committee on vaccination practices has greatly widen the influenza vaccination
recommendations. For instance, in 2010 and 2011 flu season, the CDC and ACVP placed
recommendations that all individuals six months and older had to receive yearly immunization
with the updated flu strains, unless medically constrained. It should be noted that before 2010,
only individuals fifty years old and older, individuals aged 19-50 years having medical
conditions which place them at great risk for flu complications, pregnant women, children aged 6
months to 17 years, and healthcare professionals were targeted for yearly immunization
(Navarra, 2018). Demonstrating the significance broadening the number target group for yearly
flu immunization, the goals for the United States Healthy people 2020 called for 71% flue
immunization uptake among children six months to seventeen years, 71% among 18 years and
older, as well as 91% for healthcare professionals.
Reasons for flu immunization
The major severe results of flu are death and hospitalization, therefore is Ashley and
other parents refuse to take their children for flu vaccination, they will eventually be hospitalized
and in worst scenarios lead to early loss of lives of the children. In spite of this data, a smaller
number of children have been immunized not only in the United States of America but also in
other countries. The international disease burden linked to flu in children 6 years and older is
significant. A present meta-evaluation concluded that, in 2008, over 91 million cases of flu
happened among children aged 6 years and older. These infections led to 21 million cases of

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acute lower breathing illness, 1 million cases of severe acute lower breathing illness and 29,000-
111600 mortality (Gaur, Begum, Bhati & Rehman, 2016). Researchers have approximated that
8% of total severe pediatric acute lower breathing illness occurred as a result of flu and that 98%
of these severe results and mortalities occurred in low-income countries. Infants usually have
greater rates of illness and infections relative to adults. In the case study Beth’s mother should be
informed that flu virus is dangerous to her daughter.
The rates of illness are greatest among school-aged and pre-school children (Yoo et al.,
2019), probably as a result of their comparable lack of pre-existing immunity to communicable
flu virus as well as their likelihood in being in crowded environment like daycares or schools, in
which transmission of the virus is facilitated. According to these statistics, Ashely is jeopardizing
the health her daughter since she falls under the age of school going children. Empirical data
from the serological serologic researches have indicated that 16-46% of children contract flu
yearly (Gazibara et al., 2019), and when children reach 6 years, most of them are infected with
the flu virus at least once. Infants who are infected with flu usually shed greater virus titers
during their illness as well as shed the virus for prolonged periods of time relative to older adults.
These statistics suggest that influenza transmission in households as well as communities is
serious and immunization is key to reducing the transmission of flu (Gazibara et al., 2019).
Flu has been reported and indicated to be a vital cause of hospitalizations and medical
visits in infants. In Europe and United States of America, 11-16 percent of children look for
health care for flu-linked disease every year. Even though empirical data are restricted in tropical
nations, flu has been indicated to be a significant cause of medical visits in these environments
too. Flu among the children going to schools can result to high rates of absenteeism in schools as
well as parents losing working days. Ashely should consider taking her daughter to flu

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immunization to avoid her daughter being hospitalized and acquiring other illness linked to
influenza virus.
Reasons against flu vaccination in infants by the parents
Even though it has been established that influenza virus is deadly in children most parents
have expressed their concern regarding flu vaccination by stating that their children do not need
the flu immunization especially in instances where the children have not yet contracted the virus
(Affelt, 2018). Parents view their children as health with strong immune system and thus having
low risk of being infected with the virus. Some parents like Beth’s mother, Ashely, have raised
concerns regarding safety and effectiveness of the flu vaccines. Some parents report the
observations they see from their peers who had their children undergo flu vaccination but later
developed flu and quite a serious case of it. Some parents have also raised concerns regarding the
safety of the vaccines given to their children (Prospero et al., 2019).
For instance, it has been observed in some children that have been vaccinated have
developed a higher fever as well as vomiting immediately after they were vaccinated. Moreover,
some parents have declined to vaccinate their children due to religious beliefs. Because the
vaccines are made of porcine gelatin; porcine gelatin is made of pig products, Islamic parents
have raised concerns against flu vaccination since Islam prohibits eating pig meat as well as
anything including medicine products derived from pigs (Bödeker, Remschmidt, Schmich &
Wichmann, 2015). Therefore, parents who have declined their children to be vaccinated are
ready to vaccinate their children in case there is an alternative vaccine which is not made of
porcine gelatin.

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Strategies to promote flu immunization
Healthcare providers can promote flu vaccination by educating the public about the
significance of vaccination their children. This can be done using a simple, concise and clear
language that answers all their concerns especially on the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines
(Story, 2018). Nurses an also employ social marketing to behavioral change by focusing on the
behaviors, knowledge, attitude of the parents. Social marketing to behavioral change is a proven
strategy of promoting various projects to the public, therefore, will be effective in flu
vaccination. By targeting the health benefits of flu vaccination as well as the implication of not
vaccinating a child, most parents will but the idea of vaccinating their children
Conclusion
Influenza has been described as one of the serious diseases that affects people of all ages
including children. There are numerous benefits of flu vaccination which can be employed by
Beth’s mother, however, there are various serious health implications if Ashley’s mother will not
have her daughter get vaccinated.

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References
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