Protecting your Child and your Community through Vaccination, HCP as Immunization Advocates

Litty Varghese

SEHA/Ambulatory Healthcare Services, UAE

Vaccination is the most effective medical intervention ever introduced and together with clean water and sanitation, it has eliminated a large part of the infectious diseases that once killed millions of people.

Globally, it prevents an estimated 2.5 million child deaths every year in all age groups from diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and measles. Small pox has already been eradicated and Polio is the next disease targeted for eradication using vaccine.

A recent study concluded that since 1924 in the United States alone, vaccines have prevented 40 million cases of diphtheria, 35 million cases of measles and a total of 103 million cases of childhood diseases.

Through the introduction of new vaccines, such as those against rotavirus and pneumococcal diseases and with further improvements in coverage, vaccination can significantly contribute to the achievement of the health-related United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

Vaccines trigger the same immune response that a germ might trigger, but do not cause illness. Vaccines do not cause chronic illness or neurological problems. Vaccines do not compromise or weaken the immune system.

When enough people in a community are vaccinated against a disease, those who are vaccinated can provide a shield of protection for those who cannot be vaccinated. This shield helps reduce the likelihood that anyone in the community will catch a vaccinepreventable disease. This phenomenal shield is known as community immunity or herd immunity. Hence Vaccines protect an individual child or adult from catching a potentially serious disease.

This paper outlines important information to the HCP on how the vaccines work on individual and community to provide protection and strategies for providers to address challenges.

Biography:
Litty Varghese RN, RM, MSN is working as Senior Charge Nurse, Nursing Education, AHS/SEHA, UAE. She has 34 years of experience in the field of PHC and Ambulatory Health care Services, UAE and has expertise as JCIA chapter lead and tracer team member, quality improvement coordinator, diabetic clinic project coordinator, community program organizer, nurse educator, newsletter editor and researcher. She holds Masterʼs Degree in Community Nursing, Post Graduate Diploma in Nursing Administration and obtained certification in Principles of Epidemiology and Biostatistics from CDC, Atlanta. She taught Vaccination in the residency program in Faculty of Medicine UAE for 3 years. Her awards and recognitions with her continuance in excellent professionalism, she won the first seha best employee award 2012(one among top 12), the 3rd best abstract award at the pan arab hypertension conference in Abu Dhabi Feb. 5-9, 2000, and actively participated in winning the following awards: ARAB HEALTH AWARD FOR PHC Chronic Disease program; 2009 ARAB HEALTH AWARD FOR Nursing HR development; 2010. Her Philosophy is “Passionately leading and caring, the best teacher should be the best lifelong student, and we generate value for ourselves by adding value to others”