Immunization Programs In New Zealand Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Immunization Programs In New Zealand. Answer: Background The target suggested is the increase in immunizations for communities in New Zealand. The immunization programs are mainly facilitated by the locally approved vaccinators. According to Ministry of Health, (2017) the main vaccinators that are supported for this target include any local programs specifically recommended by a medical health officer of the area or the National Immunization Schedule and nationally endorsed and funded vaccinations for particular groups. The National Immunization Schedule is usually aimed at providing vaccinations against diseases for children aged six weeks to 12 years (Udy, 2008). The rationale for increased immunizations is to ensure the best possible health protection for children and to reduce the prevalence of lethal disease among the younger population. Very young children are usually at most risk of developing diseases since their body immune systems are not exposed to dangerous infectious conditions. If there might emerge infectious and lethal dise ases that are likely to affect other groups, the program has allowed funded vaccinations for particular groups. The coverage of immunization programs for the National Immunization Schedule has seen significant success. For instance, in 2017, their immunization of eligible candidates was well above 80% for most immunization services (Ministry of Health, 2017). The implication is that there are minimal changes that should be made to create an improvement in the immunization prospects. Some of the current HPV related health initiatives in Bay of Plenty area include the Pasifika HPV promotion that focuses on Pacific Islander females using incentives to encourage HPV immunizations. For this target, we focus on a health initiative that is inclusive of children vaccinated under the National Immunization Schedule and older populations. The HPV immunization is government funded and is provided for children at the age of 8 years to 26-year-old young adults. The HPV Immunization Program was initiated as early as 2008. The HPV began as an initiative to help prevent cancer causing HPV infections. The effort started through evaluation of similar strategies that were already commenced overseas. The currently available HPV vaccination is approved by Medsafe to be safe for use on humans. Also up to 125 other countries are using the same immunization and have established that the prevention is long lasting. According to New Zealand Herald, (2011), there are still up to 150 cases of cervical cancer among older women in the entire nation every year. The perception is that the prevalence of disease-causing infections is always relatively high and requires the attention of governmental programs. The main idea behind the HPV virus is to introduce to the body, a non-infectious version of the HPV virus to trigger preventive antibodies that can keep the patient immune from infection. Proposal details The relevance for an increased investment into the implementation of vaccination programs for HPV is that there is a need for most families to understand the reality of cervical cancer and other conditions that the young adult may risk in the event of HPV infection. According to Cancer Society, (2017) HPV is behind 70% of cervical cancer cases and is therefore essential for girls. In fact, the program in 2008 offered free vaccination for girls. However, there is still a high risk of developing other cancers among women and men who contract the virus. This explains the place of controversies against the vaccination with a focus on medications such as Gardasil. New Zealand Herald, (2017) reports that in 2016, the government invested an extra $124 million in HPV vaccinations to increase access to further medication. Even with the progress that the government has made in availing the injection for HPV, there is a need for public education which forms part of the program to implement HPV vaccination correctly. Some of the primary concerns are the public perception of the immunization to be promoting promiscuity and the scepticism that is associated with the cervical smear (Dursun et al., 2009). The approval age for the HPV vaccination requires girls to acquire the immunization as early as possible when their immune systems are stronger than when they get older. However, there are more disparaging statistics that point towards the need to implement vaccination that may work towards improving future healthfully. The Bay of Plenty faces the highest numbers of cancer cases and therefore requires all mechanisms to be undertaken to ensure that the possibility of developing cancer through contracted HPV are reduced. Some of the main issues surrounding the perception include a report that Bay of Plenty shows cancer cases significantly higher than the national mean. The cancer mortality rate is at 140 per 100,000 making it the seventh highest in the nation (New Zealand Herald, 2011). It is thus an imperative to look at the population outlook of cancer cases. According to New Zealand Herald, (2011) the Maori population who are the most deprived report more cases. The implication is that there is a higher correlation between low income and the possibility of developing cancer. Government-funded initiatives to counter cancer and cancer-causing diseases such as HPV, therefore, do not cease in their importance. Next Steps At the bay of plenty, some of the leading programs should be aimed at improving awareness concerning HPV immunization and its importance. Some of the factors to address are the perceptions concerning sexual behaviour about HPV immunization (Dursun et al., 2009). This may involve encouraging safe sexual conduct alongside the promotion of healthy options such as the immunization. Other strategies may involve focusing on the most deprived populations in the Bay of Plenty. For instance, Ministry of Health, (2017) suggests a move to lobby for the DHB to include cancer component in the whanau long-term contracts. Such policy implementations should work towards ensuring that the government is accountable for reducing the cancer prospects at the Bay of Plenty. An important strategy is to fund and implement a provision of HPV immunization freely for both the males and females alongside the promotion of nurse knowledge framework to assist with the efficient implementation of the project (Parkin Bray, 2006). The Bay of Plenty may work towards encouraging funds for initiatives to work on nursing hospices and practitioner training to improve the patient experiences at healthcare centres. Further, there should be an improvement of palliative care and innovation of various prevention plans to deal with HPV and HPV related conditions (Kang et al., 2015). There should be implemented more effective tumour review technology that may help in treating cancers in time. References Ministry of Health. (2017) HPV Vaccine Retrieved from https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/immunisation/hpv-immunisation-programme/hpv-vaccine Ministry of Health. (2017). National and DHB Immunization data. Retrieved from https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/immunisation/immunisation-coverage/national-and-dhb-immunisation-data Udy, Carly. (2008 May 2nd). TOP STORY: Cancer Vaccine for Bay Children. New Zealand Herald. Retrieved from https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343objectid=10969360 New Zealand Herald. (2017 Jan 31st). Awareness Campaign launched as HPV immunization is extended to year 8 boys. New Zealand Herald. Retrieved from https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1objectid=11792001 New Zealand Herald. (2011, Sep 10th). Bay has the highest cancer rate in NZ. New Zealand Herald. Retrieved from https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343objectid=11040619 Waikato DHB. (2017). Regional Services Plan 2016/19 Retrieved from https://waikatodhb-ebooks.co.nz/midlandregional/MidlandDHBsRegionalServicesPlan/files/basic-html/page31.html Toi Te Ora. (2017, April 3rd). Young people urged to get free HPV immunization. Scoop. Retrieved from https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1704/S00009/young-people-urged-to-get-free-hpv-immunisation.htm Cancer Society. (2017). Cervical Cancer. Retrieved from https://cancernz.org.nz/cancer-information/cancer-types/cervical-cancer/ Kang, Y. J., Lewis, H., Smith, M. A., Simonella, L., Neal, H., Bromhead, C., Canfell, K. (2015). Pre-vaccination type-specific HPV prevalence in confirmed cervical high grade lesions in the M?ori and non-M?ori populations in New Zealand. BMC infectious diseases, 15(1), 365. Carter, J. R., Ding, Z., Rose, B. R. (2011). HPV infection and cervical disease: a review. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 51(2), 103-108. Parkin, D. M., Bray, F. (2006). The burden of HPV-related cancers. Vaccine, 24, S11-S25. Dursun, P., Altuntas, B., Kuscu, E., Ayhan, A. (2009). Women's knowledge about human papillomavirus and their acceptance of HPV vaccine. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 49(2), 202-206.