Introduction
This article focuses on the hesitance of parents to vaccinate their children against the COVID-19 pandemic, the reasons associated with the behavior, and what could be done to curb such issues in public healthcare centers. The paper further talks about the respective roles tasked to nurses in promoting immunization practices and activities in communities and public healthcare provision centers (Biasio et al., 2019). As realized, the hesitation in vaccination processes is becoming a significant threat to public health, mostly during health pandemics. Recently, the world faced a massive disruption from the pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China. The virus afterward spread to various regions worldwide and disrupted everyday life. Healthcare institutions worldwide embarked on searching for a vaccine and a possible cure for the virus. A vaccine was discovered with significant health institutions pumping resources and dedication. This became a breakthrough, and vaccines were distributed worldwide. However, some parents have been against vaccinating their children due to misinformation and health literacy-related issues (Wong et al., 2021). Consequently, this article will address the misinformation about vaccination, its outcomes, and the respective steps to overcome the particular concern.
Health literacy and health outcomes regarding COVID-19 vaccination
The aspect of health literacy is one of the significant concerns that plays a great role in influencing the public on matters related to health. For example, an individual’s knowledge of health aspects, such as medication, would impact how they view and regard medicine under different circumstances (Moffitt et al., 2022). This implies that health literacy directly influences the decisions that individuals make when it comes to taking vaccines and related medication. In the context of public health, not all individuals understand the different circumstances related to the pandemic. This implies that the public had different perceptions, knowledge, and understanding about the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to split decisions, where health-literate individuals who entirely understood the importance of medication took different decisions compared to illiterate individuals.
Health literacy often leads to various decisions and impacts the choice and reaction towards a health crisis or situation (Troiano& Nardi, 2021). Generally, health literacy positively impacts the decisions made by individuals because the respective individuals make informed decisions, which are entirely guided by their intense knowledge and information regarding the specific context. During the pandemic, health literacy displayed various impacts and outcomes, such as the following:
Competent decision making
Individuals with a more significant and better health literacy on aspects concerning the pandemic possess more excellent knowledge of the vaccine’s possible effects and enough knowledge regarding the severity of the pandemic. With such knowledge, they can share ideas with their health providers, ask for clarification, or even ask questions regarding any unclear aspect of the vaccine. Such implementations consequently aid the respective individuals in engaging and making informed and competent decisions.
Promoting vaccination against the pandemic.
Generally, health-literate individuals will engage in influential activities and dialogues with the other population, consequently promoting the vaccination process. When literate individuals teach and share the benefits of getting vaccinated with the other population, they tend to lure and convince those with less faith in the vaccine to try it. Besides, health-literate individuals will be more likely to involve themselves in awareness campaigns and share knowledge with the public about getting vaccinated (Bagateli et al., 2021). Their communication and enticement will lead more individuals to get vaccinated against the pandemic. Such an outcome will have a positive impact, which results from health literacy regarding the pandemic.
Health literacy aids the vaccination process
Health-literate individuals possess exact information regarding all the required processes of vaccination. Therefore, they may help others navigate the different processes and progress realized during the vaccination activity. During such circumstances, health literacy has a great essence, for it helps avoid mistakes that individuals would otherwise commit while getting their vaccination. Generally, all the logistics and activities endured during the vaccination process are made easier with the help of health literacy, where individuals can understand every activity and its role or importance in the vaccination process.
Countering misinformation
Another outcome of Health literacy can also be realized in countering misinformation regarding the pandemic. As realized, the public may receive misleading and false information regarding the pandemic or the vaccination process. There may be false information circulating through the media or other related channels, and it may impact the choice of vaccination taken by individuals. However, with health literacy, the public can counter and fight the misinformation and false knowledge spread by unknowing people. Such an outcome would lead the public to embrace facts about the vaccination process.
Components of health education for covid-19 vaccination
In the event of caring for a patient with an unsure decision about the COVID-19 vaccine, there are various components I would provide and implement to aid in convincing the patient. These components are the significant aspects healthcare practitioners follow to convince patients to accept medication despite their different circumstances (Biasio et al., 2021). Foremost, I would be patient to hear about the significant concerns of the patient, enquire about the reasons behind their hesitation, and provide background information about the vaccine to counter false ideas, address the importance of the vaccine, address the fears posed by the patient regarding the side effects, and provide exhibit and stories of the excellence related to the vaccine.
Understanding patient concerns
Foremost, I would engage the patient in dialogue and enquire about their respective concerns regarding their circumstance and if they would love to try the vaccine. This is one of the most essential components where I bond with the patients and make them feel relaxed. The bond will, in turn, help to build trust with the individual and ease the entire encounter with the patient. Under this component, the patient may highlight their concerns and explain their feelings regarding the vaccination process.
Understanding the reason for hesitation
After understanding the patient’s concerns, I would also enquire in a friendly manner about the reasons for their decline and hesitation. This component will create a great venue to understand any misinformation that the patient has regarding the vaccine. During such a moment, I will politely ask the patient why they may not want the vaccine and provide no judgment towards the patient’s reasoning or the reasons provided (Biasio et al., 2021).
Providing background information on the vaccination and counter misinformation
After understanding the patient’s reasons for hesitation, I would further advance to explain to the patient about the COVID-19 vaccine. This would include mentioning the significant benefits and reasons for getting vaccinated. Besides, I would also educate the patient in case of any misinformation about the vaccine, which will help to improve their health literacy (Biasio et al., 2021). Addressing these advantages and providing complete background knowledge and information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine would help to put the patient at ease and aid in enticing them to accept the idea of getting vaccinated.
Explain the importance of the vaccine.
This component reflects the earlier process of providing the background information regarding the vaccine. I would further explain the significant importance the patient would accrue if vaccinated. Besides, I would employ a comparison method to compare the outcomes of the patients who get vaccinated and those who deny the medication, clearly illustrating how important the vaccine is for the patient’s health and life.
Addressing fears of the side effects
In case the patient has any fears of the side effects posed by the drug, I would continue to explain to them that the drug is thoroughly tested and approved worldwide by the World Health Organization and is entirely safe to be introduced to the human body (Biasio et al., 2021). The vaccine underwent various approvals and checks to avoid possible side effects and unintended results when injected into the human body.
Provide excellent stories regarding the vaccine.
In this context, I would explain to the patient the various success stories of other vaccinated individuals. To add on, I would also explain that I am among the vaccinated individuals and assure the patient that there is no harm but benefits from the vaccination process. Such incidents and stories would help me to entice and convince the patient to accept the COVID-19 vaccination.
Nurses role in promoting and improving immunization programs
Nurses are essential in implementing immunization and vaccination activities in the public health sector. Besides, they also help to improve and boost the respective programs by executing their roles and tasks. The nurse’s roles may include the following:
Providing appropriate communication and guidance
Research illustrates that nurses are responsible for conveying information and executing communication activities related to vaccination and immunization programs. Often, parents and guardians seek knowledge and guidance regarding immunization programs and related aspects from the nurses (Williams, 2019). Consequently, nurses must provide comprehensive and correct information in the form of good communication to parents, guardians, and patients seeking immunization. This implies that parents make decisions regarding children’s immunization from the communication and advice given by nurses.
Guaranteeing safety
Nurses also guarantee the safety of patients, parents, and children during immunization and vaccination. They achieve this through safe handling and immunization administration to children and patients. Their handling process entails using sophisticated tools to administer, store, and transport vaccines (Guarinoni & Dignani, 2021). They are also tasked with scrutinizing expiry dates, avoiding mismatches of vaccines, and lastly, keeping informed about any advancements and changes in the vaccination and immunization processes
Providing vaccination care
Vaccination care refers to prolonged and routine educational activities given to parents, children, and patients regarding vaccination and immunizations. During this circumstance, nurses teach patients about the diseases and the best way to control, treat, and overcome them (Williams, 2019). Besides, nurses also teach the best practices that may help patients to cope with their circumstances. These may include teachings on proper hydration, proper hygiene, and other related aspects.
Providing follow-up activities
For example, every nurse in charge of administering immunizations should follow established protocols for identifying and treating diseases like anaphylaxis. Follow-up activities help ensure that the patient is stable and that the vaccine or immunization process causes no side effects or harm to the patient’s body. It also helps to identify if the patient’s body reacts to the immunization unwantedly (Williams, 2019). For example, providing prescribed vaccines may be defined by sheer volume and efficiency in the present clinical scenario. This efficiency level may pose some challenges for the patient getting the vaccine. Therefore, the CDC advises a 15-minute observation period after vaccination, during which the patient should be closely monitored. Nurses must have ready access to the most recent discoveries and information available on a wide variety of medical conditions to preserve the general public’s health (Guarinoni & Dignani, 2021). Medical professionals, researchers, and specialists worldwide have released a profusion of important information about the new vaccinations that are now available on the market, and nurses must be aware of this knowledge.
Example of a successful vaccination strategy
One example of a successful vaccination strategy was adopted by Israel, where they achieved massive vaccination rates compared to other regions. They achieved this success due to their strategy, which included the process of early procurement and logistics of vaccines (Rosen et al., 2021). This allowed for a timely, stable, sufficient, and precise supply of vaccines. Besides, they communicated clearly without bias or information omission while addressing the public. Moreover, the Israeli government set up enough vaccination centers where people visit and get their vaccine without hardships. The Israeli government also implemented tactics like mass vaccination, creating awareness campaigns, providing data monitoring regarding the vaccination process, and mostly, implementing modern technology and digital infrastructure during the vaccination process.
References
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