HNN300 Child & Adolescent Health: Vaccine Safety and Megan's Concerns

This report addresses the safety of vaccine ingredients for infants, particularly in response to parental concerns about substances like aluminum, formaldehyde, and mercury. It evaluates the safety assessment processes for scheduled vaccinations and explains the concept of Motivational Interviewing, applying the OARS technique to a case study involving a mother hesitant about vaccinating her two-month-old baby. The report concludes that childhood immunization is crucial for protecting against infectious diseases and highlights the importance of using appropriate communication techniques to address parental concerns and promote vaccination.

CHILD AND ADOLESCENT
HEALTH

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
Evaluation of safety of vaccine ingredient for baby and process of evaluating safety of
scheduled vaccinations................................................................................................................1
Concept of Motivational Interviewing and applicability of Motivational Interviewing approach
to Megan case study.....................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Childhood immunization is a process in which protection against some infectious
diseases is provided to children through vaccines so that their bodies develop antibodies for
fighting against that infection or disease (Mburu & et. al. 2021). It is one of the most important
health interventions which is required to be focused upon for protecting and supporting normal
development of infants, children. But many times, parents of children and infant babies feel
hesitant giving these vaccines to their babies for immunization due to lack of knowledge about
its safety for infants and children. This assignment will lay emphasis upon case study of Megan
who provides her concerns for provision of vaccines due to “toxins” such as aluminium,
formaldehyde and mercury in vaccines. This assignment will provide evaluation of safety of
vaccine ingredients, process of evaluating safety of scheduled vaccinations, concept of
Motivational Interviewing and ways in which this Motivational Interviewing approach can be
applied to case study of Megan.
MAIN BODY
Evaluation of safety of vaccine ingredient for baby and process of evaluating safety of scheduled
vaccinations
Provision of Vaccines is one of the most important factors which is required to be
focused upon for proper and normal development of infants and children. Without vaccines
children become prone to get infected by various infectious diseases and in fact their growth and
development can also get affected. Due to this, vaccinations are one of the most important things
which should be provided to infants and children. But many times, parents of infants or children
hesitate to provide these vaccines to their children or infants. Due to this it becomes important to
evaluate safety of these vaccines and ingredients used within it. Evaluation of ingredients used
for immunization of 2 months old baby will be evaluated which will help Megan to take
appropriate and required decisions for the same.
Vaccines developed for babies include only useful and important ingredients that are
required to make vaccine safe and effective. Each ingredient in vaccine is used for a specific
purpose such as: to provide protection to babies, keep vaccines safe and long lasting and for
production of vaccines (Dudley & et. al. 2018). Some of the main ingredients that are used for
development of baby vaccines, their use in vaccine and its safety for infants and children have
been explained below:
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Aluminium: aluminium salts are being used within vaccines for many years. It is one of the most
important ingredients which is used within vaccine development. It is used for bringing
improvement within body’s immune response so that better protection from disease can be
provided. It is safe for infants or children because children are naturally exposed to aluminium in
environment (Spencer, Pawlowski & Thomas, 2017). Aluminium is found within air, food and
water and is present even in breast milk and infant formulas. Aluminium used within vaccines is
of similar amount which is used in infant formulas which is given to them in a day. So, it is
completely safe for 2 months old baby.
Formaldehyde: Some of the vaccines developed for children are made from live germs of toxins
that ae required to be killed or made inactive so that they do not cause disease. Due to this
formaldehyde is used in vaccines i.e., to kill virus or to make it inactive then it is removed from
vaccine. Even if tiny amount of formaldehyde is left in vaccine, then also it does not cause any
harm to children. This is because formaldehyde resides within body naturally (more quantity
then in vaccine). Due to this it is a completely safe for infant babies and children. In fact, as per
reports of FDA there is 50 to 70 percent more formaldehyde present in anew born baby then in a
single vaccination dose (Spencer, Pawlowski & Thomas, 2017). So it is harmless for a 2 months
old baby.
Mercury: It is used in vaccines to preserve them. It is being used in vaccines since many years. It
is used for preventing dangerous bacterial or fungal contamination and is one of the major source
vaccine safety (Spencer, Pawlowski & Thomas, 2017). Type of mercury used in vaccines is
harmless. In fact, various studies and research have been carried out in this field to check safety
of mercury and no harm of its used in infant babies were found.
All the vaccines developed for infant and children are carefully tested in four phases and
after every phase it tested, verified and approved and only after approval of vaccine in fourth
phase it is certified to be given to children (Dudley & et. al. 2018). Each and every ingredient
used within these vaccines are carefully tested and verified in order to ensure that none of these
ingredients have drastic effect upon infant and baby’s health. Testing in four phases helps in
understanding that vaccination developed for infant and babies are completely safe for them and
their health, growth and development will not get impacted because of it.
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Concept of Motivational Interviewing and applicability of Motivational Interviewing approach to
Megan case study
Motivational Interviewing is a kind of counselling approach that was developed by a
clinical psychologists named William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick (Miller & Moyers, 2017).
The main purpose of this approach was to bring change within overall behaviour of client and
resolve conflict. The amin purpose of this Motivational Interviewing is to encourage patients or
service user to become an active participant or participate within a specified program in the
change process for evoking intrinsic motivations for change. In simple words it can be said that
main aim of this technique is to encourage patient or service user to bring change within their
behaviour and adopt change or participate within program positively. Motivational Interviewing
technique can be used in this case and can help in motivating Megan that, she focus upon
immunization of her.2 months old baby.
Motivational Interviewing technique is applicable in this case of Megan and be used to
motivate and convince Megan to immunize her 2 months old baby. In Motivational Interviewing
there are various kinds of techniques that can be used but, in this case, study OARS technique is
more applicable (Levounis, Arnaout & Marienfeld, eds., 2017). This technique can be applied in
Megan’s case in following ways.
O stands for Open ended questions: in this, opened ended questions to Megan can be asked so
that she can reflect and share their point of view. Using this open- ended technique main issues
and concerns associated with her baby can be understood from Megan’s point of view.
A stand for affirmations: In this, Megan can be shown empathy about her concerns and
situation and can be supported about her point of view of not vaccinating her 2 months old baby.
This will directly help in developing and building trust with Megan helping her understanding
that confidentiality of information will be maintained. Gaining trust of Megan will help
community healthcare workers in making Megan understanding that there are no side effects or
negative impacts of vaccination that are given to a baby
R stands for reflective listening: In this, issues identified by Megan are rephased in own words of
community healthcare workers for understanding Megan’s thoughts and her concerns for her
baby’s safety. This will directly help community healthcare workers in making Megan
understanding that her issues are paid attention to and are focused upon seriously.
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S stands for summarizing: In this overall summary of issues and concerns of Megan is to be
done. It is important to ensure that care workers and Megan are on same page.
This Motivational Interviewing approach can be easily applied to case study of Megan as
it is quite effective in motivating Megan and convincing her that vaccination to be given to her
baby is safe and has no side effect. This technique can directly help in developing strong and
trust worthy relationship with Megan and explaining her importance of usage of different kinds
of ingredients that are used in vaccination. This strategy and technique can be used for resolving
difficulties faced by healthcare workers with their service users or patients (Naar & Suarez,
2021). It is an appropriate technique that can be applied to this case study that can motivate
Megan and convince to immunize her baby as this technique will help healthcare workers in
expressing empathy with her, support her, provide support to under, understand her, and make
her understand that in-depth analysis of her issues and concerns was done so that she can be
convinced that vaccination was safe to be given with no side effects.
CONCLUSION
From the above assignment it has been summarized that child immunization is one of the
most important step which is required to be focused upon by healthcare professionals as it
directly helps them in ensuring that child is safe from infectious diseases and their growth and
development is not affected because of those infectious diseases or are protected from it. It has
also been concluded that it is important to use appropriate techniques for motivating or
convincing patents to vaccinate their babies and for immunization.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Dudley, M. Z., & et. al. (2018). Do Vaccine Ingredients Cause Adverse Events?. In The
Clinician’s Vaccine Safety Resource Guide (pp. 167-172). Springer, Cham.
Levounis, P., Arnaout, B. & Marienfeld, C. eds., (2017). Motivational interviewing for clinical
practice. American Psychiatric Pub.
Mburu, C. N., & et. al. (2021). The importance of supplementary immunisation activities to
prevent measles outbreaks during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya. BMC medicine. 19(1).
1-10.
Miller, W. R., & Moyers, T. B. (2017). Motivational interviewing and the clinical science of Carl
Rogers. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 85(8), 757.
Naar, S. & Suarez, M., (2021). Motivational interviewing with adolescents and young adults.
Guilford Publications.
Spencer, J. P., Pawlowski, R. H. T., & Thomas, S. (2017). Vaccine adverse events: separating
myth from reality. American family physician. 95(12). 786-794.
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