Dispelling Myths Regarding Immunization And Autism

Dispelling Myths Regarding Immunization and Autism Kayla Blevins Scott Murphy Cindy Wells Ann Rathbun

The Real Question  Health

of the Public vs. Individual Freedom  Isolation  Quarantine  Mandatory

immunizations

The Context  Consumer A

Health

field of study that assesses what “facts” exist about health & health care and how people go about distinguishing facts from misinformation  Parents getting accurate info

Context - continued  Community  Private

Health

and public (government) efforts of individuals, groups and organizations to protect and improve the health of the community.  Public Health & Immunizations  Re-emergence of disease

Consumer Health Project  Research

Groups (2)  Interview Group  Material Creators  Material Distributors  Advocacy Group

Consumer Health Project  Parents

opting out of vaccination for children.  Discovering why some children are not getting immunized.  MMR  Chicken

Pox

 DTP  Hepatitis

A/B  Meningitis

Background/History  Wakefield

et al, February 1998  Widely publicized in the British press  MMR immunization rates fell from 92% to 73%  Resulted in measles outbreak  First measles death in a decade  Study significantly flawed and discredited

Community Health Assignment  Mary

Mallon Readings  Discussion Guide  Class (small-group) Discussions  Case study questions

Case Studies

History of immunizations and crises Mary

Mallon (Typhoid) Ellen Seigal (Small Pox) Andrew Speaker (TB) HPV (Factors affecting decision making) SARS (Risk Communication) Smoking Bans

At Issue  “Covenant

Of Trust”

Defined

 Violation

of Individual Rights Protected by the Constitution 4th

– Unreasonable search and seizure 8th – No excessive cruel and unusual punishment 10th – Limits the power of the Federal Government  Reserved

powers to the States or to the people.

Typhoid Mary 

 

   

Oyster Bay, New York in 1904  First recognized as a carrier of the typhoid bacteria  She worked as a cook 1907: North Brother Island, Bronx, New York 1910: Health Department released her on one condition; that she never accept employment that involved the handling of food. 1914: Another outbreak; she was returned to North Brother Island. 1938: Died after a paralytic stroke (6 years) Fifty-one original cases of typhoid and three deaths were directly attributed to Typhoid Mary. She herself was immune to the typhoid bacillus. (Salmonella typhi).

Andrew Speaker  

   

Atlanta man who had spent nearly two weeks traveling in the United States, Canada and Europe “Extensively drug-resistant" tuberculosis.  A rare and often fatal form of the infection  Killed 52 of 53 South Africans in 2005/2006 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention imposed an "order of isolation" after he had left the U.S. Passed Canadian Border He was flown in a government plane on Memorial Day to Atlanta, where he underwent treatment. States occasionally use their authority to forcibly detain and treat patients with infections.  1963 case

Andrew Speaker (Cont.)  Ignored

advice by Europe health authorities not to take a commercial flight home.  Broke the "covenant of trust"  Health

authorities wanted to trace the people who sat in his row and two rows in front of and behind him (transatlantic flights).  Officials stated that the man had relatively little TB bacteria in his phlegm.

Ellen Siegel  Small

Pox Case  New York City – July 25, 1963  Ellen Siegel – Mother of New York City lawyer: Helen Minkin  Federal isolation for 14 days  Stockholm

– small pox infected area  No proof of vaccination (small pox)

Factors likely to affect decision making: 

Many factors are likely to affect an immunization decision (HPV):  Individual beliefs about susceptibility  Perceptions of vaccine effectiveness  Family and parental attitudes  Sexual and cultural practices  Provider attitudes  Reactions to qualities of the vaccine or immunization program (e.g., out-of-pocket costs, mode of vaccine delivery).  Fears about getting cervical cancer  Fairness for who gets the vaccine (poverty and ability to pay)

 Public

fears – discrimination

Smoking Bans  Kentucky

Law  Prohibits smoking in any public building including but not limited to:  food

service businesses

 bars  taverns  bingo

and bowling centers  pool hall  public areas in hotels/motels  any other building with public access.

Smoking Ban (Cont.)  Fines  $100

for the first offence  $250 for the second offence  $500 for the third and after  Exemptions  Privately

owned homes  Businesses with designated smoking areas  Different for every County in Kentucky

Solutions  Education  Family  PTA

or PTO  Home Extension  The Pulpit  Local Health departments’ actions, publicity  Students  Public

Schools  School nurses  Comprehensive Health Education/Consumer health http://www.cfah.org/hbns/PreparedPatient/Prepared-Patient-Vo

Solutions  Education  Students Public

Schools School nurses Comprehensive Health Education/Consumer health http://www.cfah.org/hbns/PreparedPatient/Prepared-Patie

Solutions  Education,

cont.

 Providers

(doctors, nurses, NPs, PAs, Pharmacists) Have

“readable” information for patients Know your patients (social hx) Cultural competence issues

Solutions  Skill

building

 Critical

thinking  Problem solving  Media literacy  Health literacy

Advocacy  Talking,

talking, talking  Letters to the editors, city leaders, county leaders  The production of radio and television shows and documentaries

Advocacy  Radio

appearances  Public service announcements  Outreach to media and/or Press conferences  Lobbying government officials  Sponsorship of sporting events