The public health topic I choose to talk about is immunizations. This is a very important topic where I work. At Early Head Start, we work with families and educate them on why immunizations are important. We have had some families chose not to get the immunizations for their child. Being a Federal program we have to document that all children in the program are up-to-date with their immunizations, and if the family chooses not to get the immunizations we have to have them fill out a paper stating that.
Here in my hometown there was an outbreak of Pertussis (whooping cough) a couple of months ago. Everyone was concerned about getting their child to the doctor and getting a vaccination. My children are all up-to-date on their immunizations but I was still worried because I know that there were children that were in contact with my children that were not up-to-date. This is something that not only affects the child that doesn’t receive immunizations but it also affects the children they come in contact with.
The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has been working in Thailand (World Health Organization [WHO], 2010). They have been planning and working systematically on the building of the disease immunity since 1977 in order to lower the illness and deaths due to the diseases that could be prevented by vaccination (WHO, 2010). With the passage of time, the work on expanding immunity cover has been increasing the varieties of vaccines and the target groups, and from time to time adjusting the schedule of vaccinations, according to the changing epidemiological conditions (WHO, 2010).
“Researchers from the Faculty of Tropical Medicine at Mahidol University in Thailand and from Oxford University in the United Kingdom, together with the Communicable Disease Control Department (CDC) of the Thai Ministry of Public Health, will receive $4.7 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support a promising new initiative to control malaria in Thailand” (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation [BMGF], 1999-2011). “The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant will help the Thai CDC and the research team to extend this new control strategy throughout Tak province in Northwestern Thailand” (BMGF, 1999-2011). “The most malaria-affected province in the country, Tak also harbors the greatest number of drug-resistant falciparum malaria parasites in the world” (BMGF, 1999-2011). "Malaria is a critical health issue in Thailand, and if this initiative proves successful in controlling falciparum malaria in Tak province, it will then become a model for malaria control throughout the region” (BMGF, 1999-2011).
There are some accomplishments from the past efforts (WHO, 2010). The last survey of the primary vaccine coverage in 2003 found 95 percent coverage of children less than one year of age, who had received BCG and 3 doses of DPT, Polio and hepatitis B (WHO, 2010). The coverage of pregnant women with TT was 90 percent (WHO, 2010).
I thought it was great that they were working on getting all the children immunized in Thailand. I know in the United States immunizations is a hot topic of discussions. Some people think that immunizations have side effects or cause medical issues. I think the research that I have been doing about Thailand will help me find different ways to work with families here in the United States.
I have included a link to the United States' Immunization schedule and also Thailand's Immunizations schedule to compare.
United States Thailand
References:
World Health Organization [WHO]. (2010) Thailand: National Health System Profile. Retrieved from http://searo.who.int/LinkFiles/Thailand_Thailand_final_031005_WT.pdf
Alison,
ReplyDeleteThank you for providing us with so much additional information on your topic. Immunizations are a hot topic in the education and parenting worlds. I am not a parent, and have not yet decided whether or not I would have my child immunized when I do have children. The Director or Education at my school and his wife have decided not to immunize their daughter. They actually will not practice western medicine at all. The little girl is healthy and it seems to have little effect on her.
What are some of the actual benefits of being immunized? Also, have there been any recorded incidents of immunizations effecting children's health negatively?
Thank you so much for your post. This is such an interesting topic and debate.
Raina
Thanks for this informational post. I also chose to research immunizations. I believe this is very important in perventing certain childhood diseases. I understaand that there are some that feel that immunizations can be harmful for a child. I think we all take a chance daily woith things that could be harmful to us all.
ReplyDeleteI also had picked the topic of Immunization and realized the importance of this topic. I want to thank you for the updated list of the Immunization schedule and want you to know that I had passed this on to my sister and cousin. Both of them were grateful because every time the kids need to go to the doctor they never know if the kids need shots. The kids ask my sister will say no when she really meant to say yes (she is not lying to them, she just could not keep up). Now that she has the schedule she can tell them they need this shot and it will hurt for a few seconds.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that parents should always get their children immunized so they can stay healthy.I know kids will get sick from time to time such as colds and stomach aches, but if we can prevent our kids from getting a disease such as polio and whooping cough I would much rather have my children Immunized. I know that kids could get some diseases before they get the shot such as Measles (I had Measles at 9 months old, just before my brother was born), but I still had to get the Immunization afterward.
I do not think that people could possibly stress enough the importance of immunizations.It is so important that children receive this shots to keep them healthy.Like you stated when children do not receive immunization it does not only affect them but the children they come into contact with. I try to get my children immunized as early as possible that they can get them.
ReplyDeleteAlison,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. It was very informative as well as interesting to find out that Pertussis still exsist in the states. I can't believe that some people would take such a huge risk with their children's health by not getting them immunized. Especially, if the children are attending public schools and can come into contact with all kinds of germs and diseases. Maybe with the recent outbreaks people will become more aware of the dangers that they are exposing their children to.