Discuss your personal views concerning vaccination and ‘Herd Immunity’.
Alternative Clinical Assignment for Pediatric Care(this makes up one clinical day)

“In the U.S., vaccination programs have eliminated or significantly reduced many vaccine-preventable diseases. However, these diseases still exist and can once again become common—and deadly—if vaccination coverage does not continue at high levels.” (Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/whatifstop.htm on February 2, 2011) As a nurse you will be teaching many parents about Child Health and the importance of vaccination. Please complete the objectives below to gain an understanding of the importance of vaccination and why some parents resist vaccinating their children.

Part 1

1. View Frontline: The Vaccine War (55:28) http://video.pbs.org/video/1479321646/ .

2. Review “3 Rulings Find No Link to Vaccines and Autism” at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/science/13vaccine.html?_r=1 .

3. Write a short synopsis of approximately 100 words for each of the above links and discuss your personal views concerning vaccination and ‘Herd Immunity’. Discuss how you would counsel a parent who voices concern over vaccines and a possible link to autism.

Part 2

4. Review the Measles website https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/index.html

5. Review the CDC pamphlet, “Talking with Parents about measles Vaccines for children”. http://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/complications.html

6. Read thru the tab ‘For Health Care Professionals’. https://www.cdc.gov/measles/hcp/index.html

7. Read the CDC information for parents, “If You Choose Not to Vaccinate Your Child, Understand the Risks and Responsibilities.” http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/patient-ed/conversations/downloads/not-vacc-risks-bw-office.pdf If the link does not work, then please google “If You Choose Not to Vaccinate Your Child, Understand the Risks and Responsibilities”.

8. Play the role of a nurse educator in an outpatient clinic and create a teaching sheet for your nurses that addresses the following:

a. The impact of emerging and reemerging childhood infections on health care of newborns and children.

b. Teaching strategies for educating a new mother about immunizations.

c. Strategies for teaching both parents that refuse and those that immunize their children.

d. Cite at least three references using APA format.

e. The phrase “a teaching sheet” does not imply that you should fit everything on to one page. Also, don’t forget that teaching strategies can also include pictures and infographics, not merely text. . .be creative!