Infant Immunization

If you are a registered nurse, or are studying in a nurse practitioner program, then it is essential to keep abreast of development in medicine, because new medicines arise all the time and your studies are never done. A recent article by Reuters describes the impact of new vaccination practices, which can reduce infant mortality by protecting them from rotavirus.

Several countries, including the United States, Mexico, and Australia, are now immunizing infants as standard practice. The new procedure has caused a “steep and swift” decrease in the number of deaths due to the lethal and persistent diarrhea that often accompanies baby infection with retrovirus. The strategy now is not to protect the individual, but to wipe out the viruses ability to multiply and spread, by immunizing as many infants as possible. Less disease, exponentially less chance for infection. This approach has been referred to as “herd immunity.”

Although this effect may seem obvious, it is simply more expensive to try to vaccinate everyone. Medical proponents constantly try to persuade lawmakers in many countries to subsidize vaccinations, and lawmakers are reluctant because money might be wasted for little result. These studies, which were published in a subsidiary to The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, amount to ammunition for the lobbyists. The World Health Organization wants the retrovirus vaccine everywhere in the globe, but many undeveloped countries simply cannot afford it. Various agencies hope to raise enough money in donations to introduce the vaccine even in third world countries.

The real proving grounds for the vaccine were in Mexico and Australia. Mexico is still a developing country, but has improved enough in recent years to afford new health programs. It has initiated universal immunization for babies, and noticed a total drop in the incident of rotavirus by 40 percent. Australia seems to be leading, with a roughly 90 percent decrease. This is better than the United States, which averaged about a 70 percent decrease.

If you want to stay abreast on the most recent advances, the last thing you want is to attend a nurse practitioner school that is behind the times. Consider these options instead….

nurse practitioner requirements ~ clinical nurse educator certification ~ nurse practitioner school ~ womens health career ~ family nurse practitioner programs online ~ adult nurse practitioner certification