GLOBAL HEALTH CHALLENGES FOR VACCINES

4453 WORDS

With my General Practice tutor away on vocation there was a need to plug a gap in my timetable. I was assigned to the practice nurse who ran the travel vaccination clinic and the general vaccination clinic for babies, children and adults alike. Whilst working in general practice I saw at first hand the role of vaccines in preventing communicable disease. I observed the education being provided to patients and on my second day I assisted in giving the standard UK vaccinations for older adults, vulnerable adults groups and then infants and young children.As part of my experience I was observed by the practice nurse educating patients on the benefits of vaccination. The fact that these are free in the UK made me come to view vaccinations as something akin to a gift or a medical miraclein that they could prevent disease and preserve health. These were gifts that I was being allowed to administer daily for a few days and it made me reflect on the extent to which other countries enjoyed the same gifts. For these gifts/vaccines to be accepted I also have had the opportunity to reflect upon the importance of prior education and the part these gifts/vaccines play in preventing national and global epidemics. I then considered whether it was possible to prevent a communicable disease epidemic and these thoughts