One of the greatest achievements of public health is immunization to protect children and infants from diseases that are vaccine-preventable. Children are given vaccines because they have been proven to improve their immune response to otherwise-untreatable viral diseases. A vaccine is the only scientifically proven means of protecting an individual from later falling sick to a disease that could prove fatal. Polio has almost been eradicated from the world, except in places with negative preconceptions about the administration of the vaccines (Kurosky, Davis, & Krishnarajah, 2016). People are more afraid of their children being poisoned or sterilized by enemies than they are of them contracting polio. Similarly, smallpox and diphtheria and various other viruses that once claimed children's lives by the thousands but have since been eradicated in contemporary world.
According to Kurosky, Davis & Krishnarajah (2016), the pediatric schedule for immunization has grown more complex during the past twenty years. During the 1980s vaccines were administered to the youngest infants against diseases including tetanus, polio, pertussis, and diphtheria. In the contemporary world, children are immunized in complete accordance with the childhood immunization schedule, which is recommended receive up to 15 doses of 5 vaccines that help protect them against diseases by 6 months. The vaccines go up to 20 doses of 7 vaccines protecting against eleven diseases by age 18 months (Stassijns et al., 2018). In the next few decades, the immunization schedule is likely to expand since there is the development of more vaccines for infants.
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Ventola (2016) points out that Children within 10 to 18 months should be immunized against certain diseases. One of the major vaccines is diphtheria and tetanus toxoids. At 12 months, infants should be given the fourth dose of DTaP. There is also the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), which is routinely recommended during childhood in the United States. Stassijns et al. (2018) point out that every child has to receive 4 doses of IPV between ages 6 and 18 months. After 12 months, all children with no history of chickenpox should receive the Varicella vaccine. Furthermore, the pneumococcal vaccine is recommended for every child between ages 2 and 23 and PCV added to certain high-risk groups.
Ventola (2016) further notes that before the discovery of vaccines, all diseases resulting from H. influenza type b infected children before 18 months. The vulnerability of these ages results from the growth of increased natural immunity according to age. This observation is further supported by Kurosky, Davis & Krishnarajah (2016) who point out that 2 to 3 Hib vaccine doses need to be given throughout the primary series. Additionally, infants between 10 and 18 should be given 3 to 4 doses based on the immunization administered in the Hib vaccine’s primary series. Measles, rubella, and mumps are among the most viral illnesses that occur during infantile period and they can lead to death. To prevent this, ACIP recommends that the first dose of MMR should be administered to infants between ages 12 and 15 months (Kurosky, Davis, & Krishnarajah, 2016). Furthermore, MMR should be also be administered during an outbreak of measles and to children traveling to other countries outside the US.
Oh et al. (2018), defines pediatric health issue as a problem affecting children, infants, and adolescents with the age limit ranging from birth to 18 years. There are different pediatric issues affecting children, including genetic variance, congenital defects as well as developmental issues. Pediatric health issues are of great concern to nurses and pediatricians. Thus, it is important for them to comprehensively understand which issue is affecting a child before treatment or providing care. According to Oh et al. (2018), approximately 12000 infants are born with hearing problems, over 10,000 with cancer annually including many other pediatric issues. Experts also argue that it is important for nurses and doctors to understand all the medications that should be provided to children to help manage their conditions. Thus, nurse practitioners need to follow all the guidelines during their practice to help combat pediatric health issues.
References
Kurosky, S. K., Davis, K. L., & Krishnarajah, G. (2016). Completion and compliance of childhood vaccinations in the United States. Vaccine , 34 (3), 387-394.
Oh, D. L., Jerman, P., Marques, S. S., Koita, K., Boparai, S. K. P., Harris, N. B., & Bucci, M. (2018). A systematic review of pediatric health outcomes associated with childhood adversity. BMC pediatrics , 18 (1), 83.
Stassijns, J., Bollaerts, K., Baay, M., & Verstraeten, T. (2016). A systematic review and meta-analysis on the safety of newly adjuvanted vaccines among children. Vaccine , 34 (6), 714-722.
Ventola, C. L. (2016). Immunization in the United States: recommendations, barriers, and measures to improve compliance: part 1: childhood vaccinations. Pharmacy and Therapeutics , 41 (7), 426.
