Discussion On Public Health Efforts On A National And Global Basis (Essay Sample)

Student’s Name Professor’s Name Course Name and Number Due date Discussion On Public Health Efforts On a National and Global Basis Vaccination refusal is an issue that has been all over the media for over a decade now, and some studies have demonstrated an increased lack of trust in vaccinations. In the united states, vaccination rates are high, but there are rising concerns of vaccination refusal among some communities. A study conducted in 2014 found out that communities with low vaccination rates have a high prevalence of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) such as measles and pertussis, suggesting that vaccination is an important part of public health promotion ("CDC Press Releases"). Claims by anti-vaccine activists indicate that anti-vaccination diseases such as smallpox and measles are just harmless childhood infections and vaccines do not have as much importance as they are accorded. The growing anti-vaccination sentiments have amounted to concerns by public health as well as medical practitioners and policy programs that have been previously designed and implemented in an attempt to change attitudes and minds have been for the most part ineffective. Different policies have been applied not only in the United States but also in many countries. Most of these policies are focused on encouraging parents the importance of vaccination and improving their confidence in vaccination. An example of a public health policy that has significantly increased vaccination rates is school entry mandate. However, there are policies that most American States have passed, which exempt parents from school entry vaccination mandates, on personal or religious grounds. As a result, States with higher exemption rates have recorded high rates of VPDs, and therefore tightening exemption policies can benefit the public (Kestenbaum and Feemster e74). In conclusion, the...