Immunization is the process of acquiring immunity against disease by getting vaccinated. In that regard, immunization is similar to global public health interventions such as strict sanitation practices and facilitating access to clean drinking water (Rodrigues & Plotkin, 2020). Immunization is undeniably related to an improvement in global health outcomes. In particular, immunization made it possible to control the spread of infectious diseases or eliminate some of them. Therefore, immunization is an essential health concern for the general public and the healthcare system. However, one should note that immunization largely remains recommended rather than mandated. Whereas individuals working in the healthcare industry must undergo immunization, it remains optional for the majority of the population. As such, the success of immunization efforts depends on public support and collective action. Despite its benefits, immunization requires a health promotion plan in order to protect large populations from communicable diseases.
Concern from Infancy Through Adolescence
Effective immunization begins in infancy and continues throughout an individual’s life. However, an early start is vital since infants are particularly vulnerable to communicable diseases. For instance, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends routine vaccination against 14 diseases in the first 24 months of life (Hill et al., 2023). Childhood immunization is a priority because babies are more frequently hospitalized and die from diseases preventable via early-life vaccination (Bracho-Sanchez, 2023). Since little children cannot make decisions on vaccination, the health promotion plan for immunization must target their parents. In that regard, pediatricians are vitally important for achieving greater immunization coverage in a target population. In particular, pediatricians can prevent parents from becoming overwhelmed with vaccine types and immunization schedules. Informational and emotional support from pediatricians is the cornerstone of successful large-scale immunization in children and adolescents.
Benefits
The benefits of immunization are best exemplified with facts and numbers. According to Rodrigues and Plotkin (2020), every year, immunization via vaccines prevents 6 million deaths worldwide. In terms of life years saved, the positive effect of immunization accounts for 386 million years annually. In addition, vaccines reduce the number of disability-adjusted life years lost to diseases by 96 million annually (Rodrigues & Plotkin, 2020). Furthermore, quick vaccination can prevent the development of morbidities caused by disease. For example, the vaccine against the COVID-19 coronavirus was not released until December 2020. As a result, the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. surpassed 200,000 in September 2020 (Taylor, 2021). In that regard, a health promotion plan for immunization should include the element of the common good. The more people get vaccinated against infectious diseases, the safer life is for everyone.
Challenges for Clinicians
Childhood immunization is associated with three notable challenges for clinicians. Firstly, even parents who look at immunization favorably may become overwhelmed by complicated vaccination schedules. As such, clinicians have to keep the parents aware and alert in order to promote immunization. Secondly, some parents may share a distrustful attitude toward vaccination and government healthcare initiatives. In particular, the parents may not understand that viruses causing vaccine-preventable diseases evolve, requiring immunization via new vaccine types to contain new threats. Finally, mistrust breeds misinformation about the harmful outcomes of immunizations. Concerned parents share myths about vaccines’ non-existent horrible side effects and refuse vaccination. While these concerns are based on the desire to keep the children safe, the parents who use them as a rationale against immunization put their children in danger. Ultimately, clinicians must deploy immunization promotion plans to help these parents make the right choice.
Health Promotion Goals
In general, the health promotion plan of immunization pursues three long-term goals. Most importantly, increasing vaccination coverage in children and adolescents is essential to create a strong defense against infectious diseases. In that regard, the plan aligns with the Healthy People 2030 framework aimed at reducing the number of children not getting recommended vaccines (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). Secondly, the promotion of immunization should find reflection in a reduction of infectious disease rates and the number of deaths caused by vaccine-preventable diseases. Communities with low vaccination coverage increase the risk of outbreaks which threatens public health. Finally, the plan aims to reduce health disparity in protection against vaccine-preventable diseases. Immunization promotion would help disadvantaged communities by addressing parental hesitancy and ensuring better protection for children living in worse conditions.
Methods of Immunization Promotion
The health promotion plan for immunization is based on four primary methods. The first method is educational programs for parents aimed at correcting any misinformation on vaccines the parents may have. The lack of trust and knowledge creates an environment where dangerous misconceptions about immunization thrive. Hence, respectfully educating the parents on the actual benefits of immunization is paramount. Method 2 (notification routine) and 3 (vaccine administration records) help overcome the confusion many parents face. In that regard, clinicians will promote immunization by making it clear for the target population. The parents will learn the difference between vaccine types and become more aware of vaccination schedules. Finally, the fourth method promotes immunization through consistency and professional authority. A systematic recommendation of vaccines and communication of benefits associated with immunization during clinical encounters should incentivize parents to get their children vaccinated.
Success Criteria and Evaluation of Outcomes
Overall, the immunization promotion plan has three interconnected success criteria. The main sign of success is a sizeable increase in vaccination coverage within the target population group. The growing number of vaccinated children would mean that the methods of immunization promotion work as intended. The second and third criteria are directly related since a positive perception of immunization implies that parents do not believe in myths about the dangers of vaccination. The coverage increase criterion can be verified via regular vaccine administration and patient records checks. The positive shift in attitude toward immunization and the decrease in anti-immunization myths’ prevalence can be traced via brief surveys during clinical encounters. As such, one can consider the health promotion plan successful if all three criteria listed above are met.
Conclusion
In summary, one can state that immunization is a highly important public health intervention that saves lives and prevents the development of comorbidities. Immunization is particularly important in children; therefore, the immunization promotion plan targets parents who make decisions on their behalf. The plan is centered around four primary methods of promotion: educational campaigns, notifications on vaccination, recording of vaccine administration, and professional recommendations during clinical encounters. These methods allow clinicians to solve the main challenges associated with immunization, such as mistrust toward vaccines and the parents’ inability to follow the vaccination schedule. Successful implementation of the plan will be evident through vaccination coverage increases and improvement of parents’ attitudes toward immunization. Evaluation of outcomes is possible via health records checks and conversations with parents during clinical encounters. Ultimately, the increase in trust and the decrease in the popularity of the anti-immunization myths will reflect the growing numbers of vaccinated children.
References
Bracho-Sanchez, E. (2023). Vaccine your child needs by age 6. American Academy of Pediatrics. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from Vaccines Your Child Needs by Age 6 – HealthyChildren.org
Hill, H.A., Chen, M., Elam-Evans, L., Yankey, D. & Singleton, J.A. (2023). Vaccination Coverage by Age 24 Months Among Children Born During 2018–2019.
National Immunization Survey–Child, United States, 2019–2021. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from Vaccination Coverage by Age 24 Months Among Children Born During 2018–2019 — National Immunization Survey–Child, United States, 2019–2021 | MMWR (cdc.gov)
Rodrigues, C. & Plotkin, S.A. (2020). Impact of Vaccines; Health, Economic and Social Perspectives. Frontiers (11). Web.
Taylor, D.B. (2021). A timeline of the coronavirus pandemic. The New York Times. The Coronavirus Pandemic: A Timeline – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (n.d) Healthy People 2030. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services|Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.