Health Policy Project 2 Continue

Health Policy Project 2

Precious Teasley

Southern New Hampshire University

Health Policy and Law 22TW5

Dr. Jim Dockins

June 25,2022

Health Policy Project 2

Introduction
- Health Policy Issue:The selected policy in Health Policy Issue Option 3: Adult Immunization. Communicable diseases do not affect children only but adults too in the process (Kim et al., 2019). In this way, adults need to get immunized against communicable diseases. The idea to peg the immunization on a specific state job is done to eliminate or deal with people who may resist getting an immunization. It is because of the significance of immunization to control communicable illnesses that I chose this policy option (National Vaccine Advisory Committee, 2012). To someone who has not had the policy before, the adult immunization policy will help explain the significance of immunization to adults by providing information on available vaccines and by debunking myths around the vaccine to reduce or eliminate vaccine hesitancy.
- Key Stakeholders and Interest Groups:The stakeholders in this issue include people aged 18 years and above, human rights groups, state agencies, public health professionals, legislatures, community pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, primary care doctors, consumers, pharmacists, and other alternative places of treatment, opinion leaders and media (Kim et al., 2019). Vulnerable populations may be underserved by the issue because they may not be able to receive information, or access vaccination or their interests may not be considered when developing and implementing the policy. Lack of information may hinder the implementation of the policy because of the high rate of vaccine hesitancy among the vulnerable populations.
Influence on Decision Making
- Stakeholder Needs:Some of the stakeholder needs in the current issue include vaccines, access, and the presence of medical professionals to provide the vaccines or immunize the adults (Williams et al., 2015). Access to information, access to safe vaccines, access to vaccination centers, and training in some instances. The need to understand the underlying effects of the vaccine among others. In any public health practice, information is very important as it helps the stakeholders to understand the program and respond to it positively. Again, in the current issue, some of the vulnerable populations may include pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses (Kim et al., 2019). The impacts of the vaccines on the vulnerable populations and their concerns must be addressed before the program is initiated.
- Health Policy Influence:Human rights and civil rights groups play an important role in influencing policy success in society. Approval of the policy by the groups will increase the number of adults getting vaccinated (National Vaccine Advisory Committee, 2012). Secondly, the media will influence the success of the policy since it will provide the information required for other stakeholders to understand the policy and accept or reject it. The adults or targeted group will also have a huge impact on the success of the policy because they are the persons directly impacted by the policy (Williams et al., 2015). Their hesitancy to the vaccine will contribute to low policy implementation success. Stakeholders with low influence on the issue include pharmacies, pharmacists, and opinion leaders.
Benefits and Disadvantages:The issue will benefit adults with communicable or who are at risk of acquiring communicable illnesses. Secondly, public health professionals will also benefit from the issue because they will be able to reduce the number of communicable disease cases they deal with in the community (Williams et al., 2015). Thirdly, the community will benefit from the issue because the number of people with communicable diseases will reduce significantly. Those who may be disadvantaged include adults living with vulnerable illnesses because their concerns may not be considered hence the vaccine may negatively impact their health. The other group is pregnant women who may not be able to receive the vaccine because of its impacts on their unborn babies (National Vaccine Advisory Committee, 2012). Finally, state agencies may be disadvantaged because they may not be able to employ highly talented persons who have not been immunized because of the policy.
Value Conflict Analysis:Adults who are directly impacted by the policy may not see the value of immunization because they may believe that they have developed sufficient immunity. This may pose a conflict with the public health professionals who will be providing the vaccine and feel that the adult needs the vaccine (National Vaccine Advisory Committee, 2012). Secondly, another value interest may exist between the policy legislatures and the implementers (public health professionals) on the issues relating to vulnerable populations that need to be considered during the policy implementation.

References

Kim, D. K., Hunter, P., & Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices†. (2019). Recommended adult immunization schedule, United States, 2019. Annals of internal medicine, 170(3), 182-192.

National Vaccine Advisory Committee. (2012). A pathway to leadership for adult immunization: recommendations of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee: approved by the National Vaccine Advisory Committee on June 14, 2011. Public health reports (Washington, DC: 1974), 127(Suppl 1), 1-42.

Williams, W. W., Lu, P. J., O’Halloran, A., Bridges, C. B., Kim, D. K., Pilishvili, T., … & Markowitz, L. E. (2015). Vaccination coverage among adults, excluding influenza vaccination—the United States, 2013. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 64(4), 95.

Health Policy Project 2

Precious Teasley

Southern New Hampshire University

Health Policy and Law 22TW5

Dr. Jim Dockins

June 25,2022

Health Policy Project 2

Introduction
- Health Policy Issue:The selected policy in Health Policy Issue Option 3: Adult Immunization. Communicable diseases do not affect children only but adults too in the process (Kim et al., 2019). In this way, adults need to get immunized against communicable diseases. The idea to peg the immunization on a specific state job is done to eliminate or deal with people who may resist getting an immunization. It is because of the significance of immunization to control communicable illnesses that I chose this policy option (National Vaccine Advisory Committee, 2012). To someone who has not had the policy before, the adult immunization policy will help explain the significance of immunization to adults by providing information on available vaccines and by debunking myths around the vaccine to reduce or eliminate vaccine hesitancy.
- Key Stakeholders and Interest Groups:The stakeholders in this issue include people aged 18 years and above, human rights groups, state agencies, public health professionals, legislatures, community pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, primary care doctors, consumers, pharmacists, and other alternative places of treatment, opinion leaders and media (Kim et al., 2019). Vulnerable populations may be underserved by the issue because they may not be able to receive information, or access vaccination or their interests may not be considered when developing and implementing the policy. Lack of information may hinder the implementation of the policy because of the high rate of vaccine hesitancy among the vulnerable populations.
Influence on Decision Making
- Stakeholder Needs:Some of the stakeholder needs in the current issue include vaccines, access, and the presence of medical professionals to provide the vaccines or immunize the adults (Williams et al., 2015). Access to information, access to safe vaccines, access to vaccination centers, and training in some instances. The need to understand the underlying effects of the vaccine among others. In any public health practice, information is very important as it helps the stakeholders to understand the program and respond to it positively. Again, in the current issue, some of the vulnerable populations may include pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses (Kim et al., 2019). The impacts of the vaccines on the vulnerable populations and their concerns must be addressed before the program is initiated.
- Health Policy Influence:Human rights and civil rights groups play an important role in influencing policy success in society. Approval of the policy by the groups will increase the number of adults getting vaccinated (National Vaccine Advisory Committee, 2012). Secondly, the media will influence the success of the policy since it will provide the information required for other stakeholders to understand the policy and accept or reject it. The adults or targeted group will also have a huge impact on the success of the policy because they are the persons directly impacted by the policy (Williams et al., 2015). Their hesitancy to the vaccine will contribute to low policy implementation success. Stakeholders with low influence on the issue include pharmacies, pharmacists, and opinion leaders.
Benefits and Disadvantages:The issue will benefit adults with communicable or who are at risk of acquiring communicable illnesses. Secondly, public health professionals will also benefit from the issue because they will be able to reduce the number of communicable disease cases they deal with in the community (Williams et al., 2015). Thirdly, the community will benefit from the issue because the number of people with communicable diseases will reduce significantly. Those who may be disadvantaged include adults living with vulnerable illnesses because their concerns may not be considered hence the vaccine may negatively impact their health. The other group is pregnant women who may not be able to receive the vaccine because of its impacts on their unborn babies (National Vaccine Advisory Committee, 2012). Finally, state agencies may be disadvantaged because they may not be able to employ highly talented persons who have not been immunized because of the policy.
Value Conflict Analysis:Adults who are directly impacted by the policy may not see the value of immunization because they may believe that they have developed sufficient immunity. This may pose a conflict with the public health professionals who will be providing the vaccine and feel that the adult needs the vaccine (National Vaccine Advisory Committee, 2012). Secondly, another value interest may exist between the policy legislatures and the implementers (public health professionals) on the issues relating to vulnerable populations that need to be considered during the policy implementation.

References

Kim, D. K., Hunter, P., & Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices†. (2019). Recommended adult immunization schedule, United States, 2019. Annals of internal medicine, 170(3), 182-192.