Immunization in Public Health: Reflecting on Interest and Stakeholders

This journal assignment reflects on the topic of immunization, highlighting the author's interest in its ability to protect communities from disease. It discusses how immunization works by triggering the immune system and preventing severe illnesses, emphasizing its cost-effectiveness compared to treatment. The assignment further explores the identification of key stakeholders in immunization programs, noting the importance of understanding their needs and expectations through surveys and considering the impact of immunization on the community. It also acknowledges that stakeholder interests, values, and power dynamics can evolve, requiring continuous identification and engagement to ensure the successful implementation of immunization policies.

Running head: IMMUNIZATION 1
Immunization
Name
Institution

IMMUNIZATION 2
Immunization
Immunization is the process in which an individual is made resistant to disease causing
infections by using vaccines (World Health Organization, n.d). It is a simple and effective way to
protect people from serious disease. Immunization works by triggering the immune system to
fight against diseases that people may come in contact with. It also prevents diseases from
developing or even from becoming severe. Immunization interests me because of its ability to
protect the whole community. It is a very preventive tool that does not only protect those who
have been vaccinated but also controlling serious diseases in the community. If exposure of
serious disease occurs in a community where people have been immunized, there is little to no
risk of an epidemic. Preventing a disease is much more cost effecting than treating it. Over the
years, immunization have thwarted epidemics of once common infectious diseases that had no
cure or that caused complications. It is also because of immunization that some serious illnesses
are near eradication.
Key Stakeholders
Stakeholders are people, groups or organizations that have interest in an organization’s
mission and activities. Immunization programs can pull different stakeholders together to help
develop and implement and develop activities to increase the rates of immunization. Engaging
stakeholders allows for sharing of resources and leveraging skills and expertise. Identifying key
stakeholders is an iterative process which must be maintained throughout the immunization life
cycle. Therefore, to identify the key stakeholders, I will consider who will be negatively and
positively affected by the immunization. Immunization positively affects everyone directly or
indirectly although there are some people who got values and beliefs that are against
immunization. To clearly know who are interested in immunization, I will conduct a survey on

IMMUNIZATION 3
the identified stakeholders so as to learn about their needs and expectations of immunization. I
will also consider the impact that immunization has on the community and those who have the
authority to ensure the success of immunization. This is because to ensure the implementation of
a policy or recommendation, the community must be consulted since they can have a great
influence (Bryson, 2004). As the implementation of a policy or recommendation progresses,
some stakeholders may be introduced to it while some old stakeholders may be no longer
interested in the successful implementation of the immunization policy. Power, influence,
expectations, and interest may also change hence the need to keep identifying stakeholders.

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References
Bryson, J. M. (2004). What to do when stakeholders matter: stakeholder identification and
analysis techniques. Public management review, 6(1), 21-53.
World Health Organization,. Immunization Retrived on 15th August 2019 from
https://www.who.int/topics/immunization/en/