PHL137: Critical Analysis of Vaccination, Public Health, and Policy

This report provides a critical analysis of the Australian Vaccine Awareness Group (AVAG) and the ongoing debate surrounding vaccination. It examines the impact of anti-vaccination movements on public health, particularly the rise of childhood diseases like pertussis, mumps, and measles. The report evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of arguments for and against vaccination, including discussions on the "No Jab, No Play" approach and the importance of immunization programs. Furthermore, it delves into the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, socio-demographic factors influencing vaccination rates, and the need for increased awareness. Recommendations are made to address vaccine hesitancy, promote vaccination, and enhance public health initiatives. The report emphasizes the importance of evidence-based approaches to protect children and future generations from preventable diseases, focusing on the need for education and community engagement to improve vaccination rates and overall health outcomes.

Running Head: CRITICAL THINKING
CRITICAL THINKING

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Table of contents
Standardisation in AVAG..........................................................................................................2
Strength and weakness of the argument.....................................................................................3
Report on AVAG.......................................................................................................................4
Recommendation........................................................................................................................4
Reference....................................................................................................................................6

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Australian Vaccine Awareness Group is important, as this will protect the children from getting any
infectious disease. In this study it is found that here are various differenttowns and communities are
influenced by anti-vaccination lobby groups.However, it is found that children are suffering from
pertussis, mumps and measles and the children are being hospitalized. It is also evident in the study that
vaccination was done in the past and it was done rarely. It has been found out in the study that due to the
decrease in the vaccination the illness is increasing and more number of children is being hospitalized.
According to Beard et al. (2017), the negative influence of this anti vaccination group is leading to an
increase of diseases with the children. As a result, in the Mid-North coast the local council has
introduced vaccination program. Vaccination awareness program is introduced in order to decrease the
percentage of illness within the country. The unvaccinated children from the schools are included in
different community programs and in centre for childcare so that they can be vaccinated. The vaccination
program that is introduced by the local council is known as “No Jab, No Play” approach. In this
approach, the children with the consent of the parents are being fully vaccinated in order to avoid the
diseases.
Australian Vaccine Awareness group is important for the children in order to immunize them and save
their lives from different types of diseases. As there is an advance in medical science, the children can be
protected from every kind of diseases. According to Reda and Cant (2015), a few diseases that once
killed a large number of children are now eliminated with the help of these vaccinations and other
disease are close to extinction. The children are safe due to effective vaccination and the awareness
programs that are created by local councils.
Vaccinations are safe and effective as they help essentially in ensuring thatchildren, who go through the
process, have a long and safe life with good health. According to Macartneyet al. (2017), these
vaccinations may cause pain, redness, or discomfort to the small children but they will be protecting the
children from different diseases. There are some side effects of vaccination such as allergic reactions or
other different skin diseases (Lotteret al. 2018). However, these vaccinations are preventing diseases that
are much greater than the side effects that are causing due to vaccination.
These vaccinations can create immunization that can save money and time of the family members.
Vaccinations are done to protect the children from various kinds of diseases that are provided by the care
facilities. Some vaccinations prevent diseases that can result in prolonged disabilities that can take
financial toll because of lost time or medical bills. According to Lotteret al. (2018), vaccination
programs are created to provide vaccines to the children whose families are having low income.
Immunization is also help in protecting future generation as the elimination of diseases that will kill or
disable people are being reduced. This anti vaccination group was created a negative impact on the
people as they stated that vaccination might cause swelling, soreness or different skin diseases or redness
of the skins. However, it can be viewed that vaccination was later found to be useful and this helped in
incorporating effective systems of vaccination.
Standardisation in AVAG

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Strength and weakness of the argument
In the above argument strength and weakness are been identified such as:
Strength
According to the views of Li‐Kim‐Moy and Booy(2016), vaccinations can mitigate the risks
and this will prevent the children from various kinds of diseases. Vaccinations are preventing
the children from different life risking diseases. Firstly, from the above argument introduction
of an awareness program that was named as “No Jab, No Play”. This awareness program
helped the community people to learn about the benefits of vaccination. The families who
have to know about the benefits of vaccination are overwhelmed and want to get their
children vaccinated in order to protect their children from diseases. The argument proved that
vaccination in children is safe and this safe time as well as money of the family members.
This vaccination program will also protect their future generations as they are helping in
preventing the diseases (Mahoney et al. 2016). This vaccination program is having a positive
impact in order to avoid diseases such as pertussis, mumps and measles. This program is
introduced to decrease the percentage of illness within the country. Vaccinations within the
children are killing different types of diseases and some diseases are close to extinct as a
result vaccination is proving to be beneficial for the children as well as their families.
Vaccinations help in increasing the immunity of the children as it can be observed from the
above information(MaCartneyet al. 2017). The families and the children who are getting
vaccinated can influence people from different communities as a result there will be an
increase in vaccination and more number of children will be saved.
Weakness
In the above argument, it isevident that an anti-vaccination lobby group was made in order to
avoid the vaccination programs. This anti vaccination program had a negative influence on
the people as a result diseases such as pertussis, mumps and measles were increasing.
According to Ward et al. (2017), due to lack of vaccination a large number of children were
being hospitalized. The people who created this anti-vaccination group influence the people
of Mid-North Coast by sharing about the side effects of vaccination such as redness, warmth,
swelling of the skins. Getting different types of skin diseases or causing fever over 101
degree Fahrenheit in children (Blyth et al. 2016). Contamination in the vaccination process
can cause life-threatening diseases in children as per the argument. Due to contamination of
the syringes,few people claimed against vaccination as a result this creates a negative
influence on the people. This anti-vaccination group enabled the people to avoid vaccination
that resulted in affecting the health of the children. In the above argument it is found out that

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the scientists have found out about benefits of vaccination but they did not found out about
proper side effect that are causing harm to the health of the children.
Report on AVAG
According to Warner et al. (2017), Human Papillomavirus vaccination (HPV) is considered
below nation goals of the country. Secondary data analysis from National Immunization
Survey, which was conducted in 2013, measured the association that are related to the factors
of socio demographic within the vaccinations of children as well as male and female. The
HPV vaccination is benefit to certain socio demographic groups those were negatively
associated with this study. The socio demographic factors are including the education level,
marital status, poverty level and health insurances are considered in order to determine
circumstances that are required for the health and wellbeing.
By identifying,some factors that are associated with this vaccination the research will reveal
future interventions where the social factors are determined such as communities, education
system and the healthcare organisations. Socio demographic factors, which are associated
with the vaccination positively, are consisting of not having union health insurances or
having an unmarried member within the family and having a minor ethnicity.
The adolescents who are white, having mother who is married and the people are attending
the public facilities or local health department for the boys are established in order to get
them vaccinated. The people who are having white ethnicity are more hesitant about this
HPV vaccination. It is found out that they are people who are having negative association
with the vaccination is due to high socioeconomic status or low interest in vaccination. The
white race people who are having high status are neglecting the vaccination factor that is
causing harm to their health. Lack of vaccination may cause different type of disease that
could be life threatening to the family members.
Therefore, as opined by Reda and Cant (2015), vaccination can be stated as a vital form of
protection which is a must for every being, especially children in order to stay immune from
various diseases. According to the conducted survey and analysis, various andnew
information has been accessed such as usefulness of HPV vaccination. This vaccination
indeed provides immunity against various diseases due to which spreading awareness about it
is utmost necessary. Integration of adequate awareness progress and health events can
provide the necessary platform through which this hesitancy about HPV vaccination can be
broken that can lead to a brighter future for everybody.
Recommendation

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Vaccination will helps people immunized from different types of diseases. Firstly, in the
study it found out that the white people are neglecting the vaccination factors. Therefore, in
order to create awareness and interests within these people it is very important to develop
different awareness programs so that they will be able to understand the benefits of
vaccination. Secondly, various people are having a good socio demographic factor such as
education system and having developed healthcare organisation. The male and female are
able to get access to the public facilities that are developed for the girls so that they can get
vaccination in order to prevent different kinds of diseases. Similarly, different health
department can be built for the boys so that they can be vaccinated in order to prevent
diseases. Thirdly, few white people who are hesitant about HPV vaccination and they are not
interested about this factor. However, in order to get them vaccinated it is very important to
make them understand about the benefits of vaccination. Lastly, different campaigns
developed by the government in order to provide them free vaccination so that they can be
immune from various diseases. The community where these white people are staying can
introduce different vaccination programs that will be beneficial to the children as well as the
family members.

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References
Beard, F.H., Leask, J. & McIntyre, P.B., (2017). No Jab, No Pay and vaccine refusal in
Australia: the jury is out. Medical Journal of Australia, 206(9), pp.381-383.pp.55-
57.Retrieved on: 30 May 2019 from:
https://www.mja.com.au/system/files/issues/206_09/10.5694mja16.00944.pdf
Blyth, C.C., Jacoby, P., Effler, P.V., Kelly, H., Smith, D.W., Borland, M.L., Willis, G.A.,
Levy, A., Keil, A.D. & Richmond, P.C., (2016). Influenza vaccine effectiveness and
uptake in children at risk of severe disease.The Pediatric infectious disease journal,
35(3), pp.309-315. Retrieved on: 29 May 2019 from:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/4dea/4c8e90011a89b2589791588b454ec18a7e5c.pdf
Li‐Kim‐Moy, J. and Booy, R., (2016). The manufacturing process should remain the focus
for severe febrile reactions in children administered an Australian inactivated
influenza vaccine during 2010. Influenza and other respiratory viruses, 10(1), pp.9-
13. Retrieved on: 28 May 2019 from:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/irv.12337
Lotter, K., Regan, A.K., Thomas, T., Effler, P.V. and Mak, D.B., (2018).Antenatal influenza
and pertussis vaccine uptake among Aboriginal mothers in Western
Australia.Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 58(4),
pp.417-424. pp. 78Retrieved on: 27 May 2019 from:
https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1874&context=med_article
Macartney, K., Gidding, H.F., Trinh, L., Wang, H., Dey, A., Hull, B., Orr, K., McRae, J.,
Richmond, P., Gold, M. and Crawford, N., (2017).Evaluation of combination
measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine introduction in Australia.JAMA pediatrics,
171(10), pp.992-998. Retrieved on: 28 May 2019 from:
https://www.talkingaboutthescience.com/studies/Macartney2017.pdf
Mahoney, M.C., Saad-Harfouche, F.G., Widman, C.A., Twarozek, A.M., Erwin, D.O. and
Rodriguez, E.M., (2016).Clinician misperceptions about the importance of adolescent
HPV vaccination.World journal of vaccines, 6(1).pp62 Retrieved on: 26 May 2019
from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5962284/
Reda, S.M. and Cant, A.J., (2015). The importance of vaccination and immunoglobulin
treatment for patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases.ActaPediátrica de
Australia, 36(2), pp.55-57. Retrieved on: 25 May 2019 from:
https://www.medigraphic.com/pdfs/actpedmex/apm-2015/apm152a.pdf

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Ward, P.R., Attwell, K., Meyer, S.B., Rokkas, P. and Leask, J., (2017). Understanding the
perceived logic of care by vaccine-hesitant and vaccine-refusing parents: A qualitative
study in Australia.PLoS One, 12(10), pp.55. Retrieved on: 30 May 2019 from:
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0185955
Warner, E.L., Ding, Q., Pappas, L.M., Henry, K. and Kepka, D., (2017). White, affluent,
educated parents are least likely to choose HPV vaccination for their children: a cross-
sectional study of the National Immunization Study–teen. BMC pediatrics, 17(1),
pp.200. Retrieved on: 29 May 2019 from:
https://bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12887-017-0953-2