Vaccination among the Older Adults
Healthy People 2020 is an agenda developed by the federal government to build a healthier nation. Specifically, it is a statement of national health goals developed to determine some of the significant preventable risks to health and develop national objectives to minimize the threats. Healthy People 2020 (HP2020), feature the old population as one of its major topics. Additionally, the CDC and Healthy People 2020 have launched a campaign to educate the older population on the significance of enhancing ease to access and insurance coverage for vaccinations and screenings. As a registered nurse has a primary responsibility to influence older adults to encourage regular vaccination.
To educate and encourage the older adults about vaccinations and screening I must have the relevant education. Any person responsible for administering immunization needs to be knowledgeable about the principles and scheduling of vaccination. As a registered nurse, I need to educate my patients on the significance of vaccination among the elderly. I will start by encouraging the older adults in my family to get the necessary immunizations. While on duty, I will encourage my patients’ relatives on the vaccines they can get depending on their health needs and age. Another way of encouraging patients to get immunization is by constantly reminding the patients about immunization (Powelson, 2017 ). This can be done by sending a notification informing the patients that their immunizations are due. A recall-notification can also be sent informing the patients that their vaccinations are past due.
I can also encourage the older population to get the vaccination by launching a social media campaign. The campaign should highlight the importance as well as the vaccination that the elderly should take. The campaign should also educate people on risks that are associated with having none. Additionally, I should understand ways of communicating with older adults. For instance, older adults may have difficulties hearing. Therefore, it is imperative to speak clearly and articulate words. This may include pronouncing each word clearly and directing the speech to them.
Encouraging vaccination has an impact on the community as a whole. In particular, encouraging the community to take immunization benefits their overall health. Vaccinations are considered the most crucial life–saving intervention helping the community to have a sustainable healthcare system. Herd immunity, also known as social immunity is a form of protection from communicable illnesses that happens when a large populate when many people are immune to infection. Therefore, vaccinations provide a measure of protection for people who are not immune.
References
Powelson, J. (2017, February 24). Improving adult immunizations: Nurses take the lead. Retrieved from https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/improving-adult-immunizations-nurses-take-the-lead.html