Vaccination Discussion- Hepatitis B Vaccination

Vaccination Discussion- Hepatitis B Vaccination

In the realm of pediatric healthcare, ensuring the well-being of our young ones is paramount. As the healthcare professional responsible for navigating discussions surrounding the Hepatitis B vaccine, the objective is to provide parents and caregivers with a comprehensive understanding of the vaccine’s significance. Acknowledging the multifaceted nature of decision-making in child health, this essay aims to address concerns, present evidence-based information, and foster an informed approach to Hep B vaccination.

Addressing Hepatitis B Concerns

The screening process should involve the creation of a safe and non-judgmental environment in which a parent may voice their worries. This task will be accomplished by acting as mediators and asking parents to express their worries, doubts, or misconceptions about vaccines. Thereby, the physician gets an original understanding of a parent’s concerns and sees the causes. Therefore, it is possible to problematize hesitation or refusal. When the concerns are further identified, the healthcare provider can systematically resolve each of these issues, presenting evidence-based information appropriate to be used to decrease the level of parental anxieties. It becomes crucially essential to avail precise and simple explanations without using medical terminologies and relying on layman’s terms to ensure the parents grasp understanding. For instance, regarding the Hep B vaccine, the provider may elaborate on the vaccination reason by emphasizing that it blocks serious viral infection and by explaining the vaccination’s safety and effectiveness with scientific evidence.

Additionally, knowing the socio-cultural background where the parental concerns come from is essential. Factors like cultural attitudes, a person’s previous bad records with health care providers, or his/her sincere religious beliefs can be among the reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Healthcare provider-family relationships can be strengthened if healthcare providers are thoughtful in respecting individual perspectives and considering them in developing an approach that fits each family circumstance.

Optimal Age for Vaccine Administration

The Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended to be administered in doses, preliminary after birth, and complete the dose by the age of six months. The first dose is typically given at birth or before the newborn is discharged to the hospital. The second dose is administered at 1-2 months of age. The third dose is at six months of age.

Purpose, Disease Prevention, and Consequences of Non-Vaccination

Purpose of the Hepatitis B Vaccine

The fundamental reason for giving the Hepatitis B vaccine is to avoid the infection related to the presence of an admissible Hepatitis B virus. The vaccine is an immune system stimulator, producing antibodies responsible for protection from Hepatitis B infection by giving the necessary immunity and protection.

Disease Prevented

Hepatitis B is a virus-caused inflammation predominantly localized in the liver, resulting in acute and chronic conditions. Individuals with chronic hepatitis B infection may suffer long-term severe side effects, including cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure, and an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (Zhao et al., 2020).

Consequences of Not Vaccinating

Transmission Risk

             Hepatitis B can be transmitted through blood or body fluids infected with hepatitis B and quickly passed on; therefore, vaccination and immunization are crucial.

 Long-term Health Impact

             Failing to vaccinate against Hepatitis B allows for chronic infection, which eventually leads to severe liver diseases and affects the life of an individual. (Whitacre et al., 2019)

 Perinatal Transmission

            Among newborns, the chance of the hepatitis B patient’s mother transmitting the viral disease during the childbearing process is the most dangerous of factors. Vaccinating infants early enough maximizes the effectiveness of this measure to eliminate breast-feeding transmission of hepatitis B.

Contraindications of Hepatitis B

Individuals with a known allergy to yeast or any component of the Hepatitis B vaccine should avoid vaccination.

Side Effects

Severe allergic reactions may occur in those with hypersensitivity to yeast proteins.

Fever, headache, vertigo, arthralgia, malaise, arthritis, and erythema are examples of local responses. Following this, erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, Guillain-Barre syndrome, seizures, hypotension, baldness, and autoimmune disorders are other examples of serious side effects.

Treatment of Hepatitis B

Antiviral Medications

The current treatments include antivirals like tenofovir and entecavir, which reduce viral activity (Alexopoulou et al., 2020).

Monitoring and Regular Checkups

Chronic hepatitis B patients require continuous checkups on liver functions, viral load, and other parameters mentioned. Such findings enable medical specialists to monitor the evolution of infection and the efficiency of the therapy used.

Liver Cirrhosis Management

            For people with liver cirrhosis from Hepatitis B, other interventions might be to manage complications like the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen and hepatic encephalopathy.

Ethical Response

Respect for Autonomy

There must be respect for the parents’ autonomy by recognizing that they retain the right to assert themselves as decision-makers about their child’s health. It is, therefore, important to provide them with complete information so that they can identify the essential things that will help them make the right choice (Bradshaw et al., 2020).

 Beneficence

            As an NP, it is important to bring society’s attention to the vaccination by explaining the potential benefits of the Hepatitis B vaccine and highlighting that immunization acts as a preventative measure per the principle of “doing good.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, addressing parental concerns about the Hepatitis B vaccine requires empathetic communication and evidence-based information. Striking a balance between respecting autonomy and promoting public health is paramount.

References

Alexopoulou, A., Vasilieva, L., & Karayiannis, P. (2020). New Approaches to the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9103187

Bradshaw, C., DiFrisco, E., Schweizer, W., Pavsic, J., Demarco, K., Weckesser, J., Gold-VonSimson, G., & Rosenberg, R. E. (2020). Improving Birth Dose Hepatitis B Vaccination Rates: A Quality Improvement Intervention. Hospital Pediatrics, 10(5), 430–437. https://doi.org/10.1542/hpeds.2019-0294

Whitacre, D. C., Peters Cj, Sureau, C., Kouki Nio, Li, F., Su, L., Jones, J., Masanori Isogawa, Matti Sällberg, Frelin, L., Peterson, D. L., & Milich. (2019). Designing a therapeutic hepatitis B vaccine to circumvent immune tolerance. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 16(2), 251–268. https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2019.1689745

Zhao, H., Zhou, X., & Zhou, Y.-H. (2020). Hepatitis B vaccine development and implementation. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 16(7), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2020.1732166

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For this discussion board, your name will be listed below with the topic assigned to you, along with your assigned grading faculty. In this discussion scenario, you are an NP at a clinic seeing a pediatric patient for an exam and vaccine updates. The vaccine you are assigned is listed next to your faculty’s name. The parent is either questioning why their child should receive this vaccine or is refusing the vaccine.

Answer these two questions:

1.) While addressing the parent’s concerns, what sound, evidence-based information would you share with the parent regarding this vaccine and reasons to support your point of view? (See specific requirements in the grading rubric)

2.) If the parent still refuses after you share this information, what is your ethical response?

You must post your discussion response before viewing the posts of other students.  Your response should have a minimum of 300 words and two (2) professional references.  If your post does not meet the word count or professional reference requirement, it will not be graded and you will receive a “0” on the assignment.