Critical Reflection: Childhood Vaccination and Ethical Considerations

This assignment is a critical reflection on the topic of childhood vaccination, exploring the student's personal views, ethical considerations, and potential challenges. The student believes that childhood vaccination is essential and a parental duty, arguing against excluding unvaccinated children from childcare or school, as it would not promote awareness. They advocate for social campaigns to educate parents about the benefits of vaccination and the hazards of not vaccinating, emphasizing the importance of community immunity. The reflection delves into the development of these views, citing observations of children falling ill and the need for moral support, as well as the impact of diseases. The student acknowledges challenges in aligning personal and professional values, and outlines plans to conduct online social campaigns and research to promote vaccination awareness, working with authorized healthcare professionals. The assignment includes references to relevant literature supporting the importance of vaccination and its impact on public health.

CRITICAL
REFLECTION

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART A ..........................................................................................................................................1
My contribution in online forum with my peers on topic of “childhood vaccination”...............1
PART B............................................................................................................................................2
Why do I have these views?........................................................................................................2
How do they develop?.................................................................................................................2
How they changed or been challenged?......................................................................................3
How might this challenge me in practise?..................................................................................3
How might I work with these?....................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

PART A
My contribution in online forum with my peers on topic of “childhood vaccination”.
Being a part of this online forum, I am choosing topic “childhood vaccination” for
presenting my contribution and reflection of personal values. According to my views, childhood
vaccination is essential for every children. Also, it is the duty of parents to endorse their child
with the process of vaccination.
I will express my views on children who are not vaccinated should be excluded from
childcare or school. I am not agreed with this concept as this would not bring awareness among
children and their parents.
My views about vaccination is that it helps the children to stay prevent from hazardous
diseases like pertussis, measles, mumps, etc. Carelessness regarding this lead to hospitalisation
and death of these children who have not been vaccinated. I would like to create awareness
among parents and society for comprehending them about hazards and difficulties their children
can face by not getting proper vaccination.
The personnel values of mine are not allowing me in supporting this statement because
excluding unvaccinated children would safeguard environment of child care or school. Also, it
may prevent other children prevailing under these institutions from diseases but it will not
helpful for preventing the lives of unvaccinated children. I would like to create social awareness
by conducting social campaigns in regarding to go though the process of proper vaccination
among parents. I will support my efforts in respect of social campaign because unvaccinated
children will spread disease to any other child. Also, in addition to this my understanding about
vaccination is that child who is not vaccinated properly would not be safeguarded by community
immunity. The disease which is extremely infectious such as measles, pertussis, etc. can be
harmful for other people too and not getting cured on time would lead to hospitalisation or even
death.
Although, I am suggesting that if children are not vaccinated they must excluded from
facility of child care or school such as sport event or other events which is usually conducted.
This will create an awareness among parents because their students are not getting opportunities
regarding facilitates normally children get at school and child care. Along with it, a social
campaign regarding providing vaccination to children of child care and school can also be a great
1

option for welfare of children as well as school or child care. In this online forum, I would like to
share my views on conducting a social campaign under which children who are earlier not
getting proper vaccination would be vaccinated in campaign. This will help them in safeguarding
from hazardous diseases which can be harmful for their lives.
My efforts regarding this procedure of social campaign will be a contribution for the
society which will assist and avail a healthy environment. Also, healthy young ones will play a
great role in development of society. This online forum will also bring my understanding
towards a focused future social activity.
PART B
Why do I have these views?
The reason for selection of topic “children vaccination” is due to I have observed many
children who got severally ill and hospitalised. Many of them face difficulty to become social
friendly. As per my views I suggested that schools and child care must not exclude children from
their place. In accordance with the views of Dubé, Vivion & MacDonald (2015) The children
need moral support which only child care and schools can avail them. In case of not getting
proper vaccinated the children are excluded from school and child care. Instead of throwing them
out the child care institutions as well as schools must conduct a campaign for those children who
have not yet vaccinated. Also, their parents should make aware about the importance of
vaccination for the healthy future of the children.
In addition to this Mellou, Sideroglou & Hadjichristodoulou (2015) shared their view
about vaccination that it is an essential procedure which need to be adopted. The doctors and
authorised hospitals are providing facility of vaccination for children. This enables parents to go
for process of vaccination and builds trust in them as these authorities can influence decisions of
parents. Also, by making aware parents about the risks of not being vaccinated as well as
benefits of vaccination bring better life for children.
How do they develop?
This view is developed in me because the children who are not getting vaccination are
generally excluded from school and child care which tends me to choose this topic of children
vaccination. In the view point of van Werkhoven, Hollings worth & Bonten (2016) the number
of UK cases listed which are related with the disease that are caused by not getting proper
vaccination. There are many hazardous diseases like Measles, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B,
2

Varicella, etc. which can harm children and are infectious. These diseases are not cured on time
then this lead to loss of lives. Also, the parents need to aware for these diseases that these may
return to community with full force and can harm the environment. This develop my interest in
field of necessity of vaccination among children because diseases like Measles, pertussis, etc. are
highly infectious which can infect unvaccinated people.
How they changed or been challenged?
I have faced a huge challenge regarding the ethical norms and my professional values.
According to be aligning with professional values, I must conduct a social campaign for the
unvaccinated children to safeguard their lives. Also, according to my opinion I was planning to
conduct an awareness campaign which assists parents to take an appropriate decision for the well
– being of their children. In the views of Azami, Ahmadi & Sayehmiri (2017) Campaign for
vaccination must be in proper guidance of well knowledgable doctors and team of nurses. This
brings trust among parents who have come for the procedure of vaccination for their children.
Along with it, it is the responsibility of every parent to provide vaccination to children in order to
assure a healthy future to them. But it is not possible without approval of authorities. It is not
allowed to conduct vaccination campaign by any individual person. Thus, I conclude my
understanding and align my efforts towards the authorised hospitals and doctors to enable their
action for the welfare of children.
In my opinion this will be very challenging task for me to make an appointment with
authorised directors of hospitals as well as doctors. Also, it will consume more time for availing
proper assistance to children for vaccination.
How might this challenge me in practise?
For aligning ethical norms along with professionalism will take time and lots of efforts.
But I will conduct a social online campaign for creating awareness of disease which can be
prevent the children from these infectious diseases. Along with it, I will make research on data
related to proper vaccination procedure and probability of unvaccinated individual who need to
need cure before getting infectious in the population of vaccinated individuals. Children need
vaccination for getting a healthy life which is their right and an obligation of parents for being
endorse with this procedure of vaccination.
According to the views of Pezzotti, Bellino & Rezza, (2018) It has been observed from a recent
data provided by WHO. Disease like Tetanus, Diphtheria and polio has decreased when it is
3

compared with past data. Awareness of Vaccination was increased from 75% in the 1990's to
85% in the year 2017 (WHO Campaigns in vaccines and the power to protect, 2019).
How might I work with these?
I have observed that my professional values are far different with my personal values. I
need to work and provide my social contribution towards the requirement of vaccination and
awareness among citizen while the mine professional values are concerned with creating an
awareness but through authorities which are associated with it. In according to the views of
Brotherton & Bloem (2018) the social campaign is essential for increase awareness of
vaccination among current generation to safeguard from infectious diseases. Vaccination is
executed to save lives and to improve the quality of life with which any medical participation.
The innovation in process of vaccination is developed in recent years which is offer to society as
well as individuals and the possibility of getting affected by diseases decreases.
I will set my work according to the research which I will execute after online forum. By
this online forum, I am able to share my views and gather more knowledge which will help me in
developing my understanding. I will conduct a social campaign on internet through various
social networking website. Along with it, I will try to convince parents for the process of
vaccination. This will align my professional and personal norms together.
4

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Azami, M., Ahmadi, M. R. H., & Sayehmiri, K. (2017). Hepatitis B vaccination efficacy in
Iranian healthcare workers: a meta-analysis study. Hepatitis monthly. 17(1).
Brotherton, J. M., & Bloem, P. N. (2018). Population-based HPV vaccination programmes are
safe and effective: 2017 update and the impetus for achieving better global coverage. Best
practice & research Clinical obstetrics & gynaecology. 47. 42-58.
Dubé, E., Vivion, M., & MacDonald, N. E. (2015). Vaccine hesitancy, vaccine refusal and the
anti-vaccine movement: influence, impact and implications. Expert review of
vaccines. 14(1). 99-117.
Mellou, K., Sideroglou, T. & Hadjichristodoulou, C. (2015). Considerations on the current
universal vaccination policy against hepatitis A in Greece after recent outbreaks. PLoS
One. 10(1). e0116939.
Pezzotti, P., Bellino, S. & Rezza, G. (2018). The impact of immunization programs on 10
vaccine preventable diseases in Italy: 1900–2015. Vaccine. 36(11). 1435-1443.
van Werkhoven, C. H., Hollings worth, R. C. & Bonten, M. J. (2016). Pneumococcal conjugate
vaccine herd effects on non-invasive pneumococcal pneumonia in elderly. Vaccine. 34(28).
3275-3282.
Online
WHO Campaigns in vaccines and the power to protect. 2019. [Online]. Available through :
<https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-immunization-week/world-immunization-week-
2019/vaccines-and-the-power-to-protect>.
5