Prevention & Health Protection I Flashcards
What is an Infectious Agent?
Pathogens/microorganisms - invade the body, cause infection, and make you sick (bacteria, virus, fungi)
What is a Reservoir?
- where the germ lives and grows
- can be on a person (in respiratory tract) or on equipment, environment, food
What is the Portal of Exit?
- how the pathogen leaves its reservoir
- can be through sneezing, coughing, diarrhea etc,.
How is an infection spread? (mode of transmission)
- the germ can spread by hands or equipment (ie, in air by coughing or contact w/ body fluids and blood)
How does the pathogen infect someone new? (Portal of Entry)
- can be through eyes, mouth, hands, open wounds, tubes put into body (ie. catheter)
What is a Susceptible Host?
People who are at higher risk of infection bc
1) they are unable to fight infection
3) people living congregate living centres
- elderly living in care homes
How to break the link of infection?
- Breaking the link at any point in the chain stops the transmission
○ Infectious agent: immunization where possible, hand surface hygiene
○ Reservoir: hand and surface hygiene, water surveillance programs
○ Portal of exit: coughing/sneezing into a tissue (followed by hand hygiene), hand hygiene after using the washroom and before touching food/drink
○ Mode of transmission: hand hygiene, use single-use or dedicated devices, wearing a mask, staying home when sick, wearing gloves
○ Portal of entry: wearing gloves, covering cuts/wounds, wearing masks and goggles, practicing good feeding tube and catheter hygiene
○ Susceptible Host: hang hygiene, vaccination, mask wearing
Pre-Colonial Perspectives of China and India
- reports of individual’s being inoculated using variolation in 1500’s
- could have began as early as 200 BCE
Pre-Colonial Perspectives of Africa
- variolation was practiced before the 1700’s (Kenya, Ethiopia, Libya, Mali, Sudan)
- origins are difficult to determine due to impacts of colonialism
Pre-Colonial Perspectives of West Asia and Middle East
- Physician: Abü Bakr Muhammed - 1st to identify measles and smallpox as 2 different diseases
- variolation was practiced w/in Ottoman Empire
How was the 1st injectable vaccine developed?
- Dr.Edward Jenner
- inoculated an 8 yr old w/ pus from a patient w/ cowpox
RESULTS: - boy was only mildly sick
- no signs of illness
What is Pus?
- fluid composed of dead white blood cells (immune cells), dead tissues, and dead pathogen
- Can help the body form an immune response
History of Vaccines
(pretty sure i dont need to know this)
1) Sarah Nelmes (milkmaid) - infected w/ cowpox
2) James Phipps - inoculated w/ cowpox from Nelmes
3) Phipps - becomes ill w/ mild case of cowpox
4) Scabs are collected from smallpox patient
5) Phipps - inoculated w/ scabs of smallpox
6) Phipps - unaffected + protected from smallpox
Examples of Vaccine Preventable Diseases
- Measles
- Mumps
- HPV
- Hep A
- Meningococcus
- Pertussis
- Diphtheria
- Rubella
- Tetanus
- Polio
- Hep B
- Pneumococcus
- Varicella (Chicken pox)
- Haemophilus Influenza B
Provincial Government Vaccine Responsibilities
- Administration and delivery of health services
- Purchasing vaccines for publicly funded programs
- Design and maintenance of immunization registries, surveillance and monitoring, professional education, and engagement
- Setting immunization targets; planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of immunization programs
Federal Government Vaccine Responsibilities
- Regulation of vaccines
- Bulk procurement (ownership) of publicly funded vaccines
- Vaccine safety monitoring
- Vaccine recommendations
- Vaccine coverage assessment
- Immunization awareness and promotion
Role of a School Nurse
- type of public health nurse that works closely with, and in schools
- 1 significant role is the promotion of childhood immunizations.
- Immunizations are required in most jurisdictions for children to attend school or daycare. Known as: Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) , in Ontario
- If a child is missing immunization, the PHN would communicate with the parents and liaise b/w the school and parents to support the health of the child.
What is the process of vaccine administration?
- Before a vaccine can be administered in Canada, Health Canada will evaluate the vaccine to ensure it:
a) prevents diseases;
b) shows no safety concerns - Once a vaccine is approved, the Public Health Agency of Canada will work w/ Health Canada to monitor safety and effectiveness
- The monitoring process requires collaboration from the public, vaccine industry, healthcare professionals, and public health authorities
Why might people be vaccine hesitant?
- fear/anxiety
- misinformation
- health literacy barriers
- distrust of the medical system (ie. due to past experiences w/ medical system or government conspiracy theories
- NP’s say ‘vaccine hesitant’ instead of ‘anti-vaxxer’
How do SDOH impact vaccine uptake?
SDOH’s important for vaccine uptake
1) Policy and Law
2) Data & Surveillance
3) Evaluation & Evidence Building
4) Partnerships & Collaboration
5) Community Engagement
6) Infrastructure & Capacity
- SDOH’s highlight where a resource limitation, or resource investment can impact the landscape in how likely vaccines are to be uptaken
- When working with certain populations (ppl who are underhoused, incarcerated), partnerships and collaboration is key
Tips for Navigating Vaccine Hesitancy
- Validate the client’s concerns (BUT, do correct misinformation)
- Throughout the conversation, use a non-judgemental, calm tone and body language.
- Respect client autonomy.
- Reflect on why individual may be hesitant and empathize.
- Be honest about the risks and benefits.
- Be open to answering any questions.
- Understand that you won’t be able to win them all; if we can’t get them on board with prevention, try to do harm reduction
○ Ex. of Harm Reduction - remind clients when to stay home when sick, to wear masks, practice good hygiene - Always end conversation reminding client that they can seek resources from the public health unit/medical clinic
○ this improves communication and reinforces trust and collaboration
Why do higher-income countries (Canada/US) not see a high disease burden compared to burden of causes (CV/Stroke) lower-income countries?
- Neocolonialism and political tensions that arise lead to weakened public infrastructure and resource distribution networks
- Racism
- Unequitable resource distribution
____________________ is 1 of the greatest burdens of disease in _______________ countries.
Infectious disease, low-income
How to we achieve global health equity?
- we must address the needs of most marginalized (to empower us all)
- approach interventions with collaborative, culturally mindful, and emancipatory mentality
○ nurses serve as knowledgeable agents, sharing knowledge to the community to self-determine how it applies to them, and supporting community decision, needs, & goals
Examples of Interventions to Achieve Gloval Health Equity
- Vaccine re-distribution banks
- Culturally congruent health promotion campaigns
- Investment in water and waste management infrastructure
- Investment in education and training
