Are there any strategies to educate patients/populations that vaccines are safe?

Are there any strategies to educate patients/populations that vaccines are safe?

Vaccines are central to public health goals and principles. However, they have become controversial in some circles. Because their jobs put them at increased risk for contracting or becoming a carrier of of infectious diseases, healthcare workers in hospitals and clinics are required to be immunized against diseases such as Hepatitis B, seasonal influenza, or other infectious diseases.

Should vaccinations for health care workers be mandatory? Or should it be left up to an individual’s choice? Are mandatory vaccinations a violation of an individual’s civil liberty? Furthermore, might your view point on this shift, depending on whether you are a patient, staff member, or head of the organization/agency? To whom are you responsible and how might you argue for or against mandatory vaccination in light of your point of view.

Please support your view point with research literature and/or principles of public health as covered in your assigned readings.

Please remember that public health professionals often work with others who have opinions that differ from their own. In this discussion, please remember to be professional and respectful of others whose opinions may differ from yours.
Competencies:
6. Assess population needs, assets, and capacities that affect communities’ health.
7. Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies or programs.
9. Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence.
11. Advocate for political, social, or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations.
12. Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity.
13. Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges.
17. Demonstrate ethical decision-making in the practice of dental public health.
20. Critically appraise evidence to address oral health issues for individuals and populations.

Learning Objective:
1. Discuss the ethical dilemma of mandatory vaccinations for healthcare workers.

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Office of the Secretary. (1979). Belmont Report: Ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research, Report of the national commission for the protection of human subjects of biomedical and behavioral research. Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/sites/default/files/the-belmont-report-508c_FINAL.pdf [10 pages] Thomas, J. C., Sage, M., Dillenberg, J., & Guillory, V. J., (2002). A code of ethics for public health. American Journal of Public Health, 92(7), 1057-1059. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC14 47186/pdf/0921057.pdf [3 pages]

Chapters 9 and 23 in the Schneider Introduction to Public Health textbook. [18, 12 pages] Review:
Chapter 20 in the Schneider Introduction to Public Health textbook