35. PUBLIC HEALTH ETHICS CASE

Question 1

1. Why is Measles such a problematic virus?

Answer 1

• it remains active and contagious in the air and on
  infected surfaces
• it can do this for up to 2 hours

Question 2

2. How can Measles be transferred from person to person?

Answer 2

IT CAN BE TRANSFERRED BY AN INFECTED PERSON FROM:
- 4 days before the rash began
- to 4 days after the rash began

Question 3

3. What is the Vaccination used against Measles?

Answer 3

• the MMR Vaccine
• 2 doses of this vaccine are received

THE VACCINE CONSISTS OF PROTECTION AGAINST:
- Measles
- Mumps
- Rubella

THE MMR VACCINE:
- is 97% effective in preventing infection

Question 4

4. What are the steps that need to be taken if someone with a notifiable, contagious disease has entered a country?

Answer 4

1. Find out where the case has been
2. Isolate the case
3. Identify who the individual has been in contact with
4. Quarantine the unvaccinated people that the infected
   individual has been in contact with

Question 5

5. What is a major issue related to Quarantine or Isolation?

Answer 5

• it places an extremely heavy financial burden on the
  most economically vulnerable individuals

Question 6

6. How would Public Health Departments go about notifying people who have been exposed to contagious diseases?

Answer 6

INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE PUBLICISED AND RELEASED ABOUT:
- the number of confirmed cases
- the dates, sites and times of the potential exposures
- the public and shared spaces that the infected
individual has visited

Question 7

7. What is an issue with listing the exact locations of where the infected individual has been?

Answer 7

• business can be named

LISTING THESE BUSINESS:
- can affect their future clientele

FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE IS REQUIRED IN THIS SITUATION:
- all the business that have been visited by the infected
individual have to be listed

Question 8

8. How can Public Health Departments put measures into place that protect the most vulnerable groups that cannot be vaccinated against contagious, notifiable diseases?

Answer 8

• specific policies can be put into place

THESE POLICIES OUTLINE:
- that the infected individual must be excluded from
indoor and outdoor public spaces
- the infected individual is prohibited from being present
at any public assembly
- the infected individual is required to co-operate or they
will be fined

OTHER POLICIES MIGHT OUTLINE THE NEED:
- to temporarily remove unvaccinated individuals from
public spaces that put them at risk

Question 9

9. What kinds of vulnerable groups cannot be vaccintaed against contagious, notifiable diseases?

Answer 9

1. MEDICAL REASONS:
   - pregnant women
   - children less than 6 months old
   - immunocompromised individuals
2. NON-MEDICAL REASONS:
   - religious objections
   - philosophical objections
   - personal beliefs

Question 10

10. Does this Summary make sense?

Answer 10

• yes