Discussion Response

This is due at 8 PM Central Standard Time TONIGHT.

This is simply a discussion response. I will post what needs to be responded to. It should be directed directly towards the person who you are responding to. For example, "Hi Kristi! Great post.......etc, etc"

The response must be supported with references.

Respond with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information to two or more of your colleagues’ postings.

Here is what you will be responding to........

 With most of the country focused on finding a vaccine for COVID-19, there is one deadly infectious disease that likes to make a comeback every so often, despite it having a vaccine; measles. Measles is highly contagious and is spread easily through the air by respiratory droplets. In 2019 there was a resurgence in the United States with more than 1200 cases in 31 states (Koh and Gellin, 2020). Although there have been no current outbreaks in the county I live in, there have been multiple cases from a neighboring county. Sandy Ridge, North Carolina, is home to Prabhupada Village, which is a group affiliated with the Hare Krishna movement (Craver, 2019). The village was the source of a measles outbreak in 2013, and there were 19 documented cases in three counties in North Carolina (Craver, 2019). In this case, the reason for the outbreak was due to a lack of vaccinating related to the personal beliefs of the religious community. However, many people have a distrust of the vaccination due to misinformation. The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine was under fire due to a study published by Andrew Wakefield that stated the MMR vaccine caused autism. The study was later retracted and debunked (Gershon et al., 2020). Social media sites are a breeding ground for the anti-vaccination movement.

Airborne precautions in an isolation room, along with the use of an N95 mask, should be in place for anyone under suspicion or diagnosed with measles. Handwashing is critical in the prevention of disease spread, but the prevention of measles starts with vaccination education. Education on the importance of vaccinating children is a priority for any nurse in a family, pediatric, or community health setting. Some research finds that when clinicians communicate and emphasize vaccinations as a standard of care, it reinforces the importance to the parents (Koh and Gellin, 2020). Nurses should provide information and statistics to dispel and debunk any myths and misconceptions parents may have.

 Low-income families should be made aware of the federal program, Vaccines for Children. This program provides no-cost vaccinations to children of low-income families (Koh and Gellin, 2020). Parents should be directed to evidence-based websites, such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), for further information that may clarify information regarding vaccines (Koh and Gellin, 2020). If a parent does decline vaccination, as nurses, we must respect their decision and remain non-judgemental.

References

Craver, R. (2019, April 29). Expert: Still measles issues in N.C. Rockingham Now. https://www.greensboro.com/rockingham_now/news/expert-still-measles-issues-in-n-c/article_30059c2f-10c0-5eaa-96ef-b79de20c0e47.html

Gershon, A. A., Edwards, K., Orenstein, W., & Schaffner, W. (2020). Freedom, Measles, and Freedom from Measles. The New England Journal of Medicine, 382(11), 983–985. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1056/NEJMp2000807

Koh, H. K., & Gellin, B. G. (2020). Measles as Metaphor-What Resurgence Means for the Future of Immunization. JAMA, 323(10), 914–915. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1001/jama.2020.1372