The Purpose Of This Discussion Is To Assess A Case St
The purpose of this discussion is to assess a case study of two patients who are planning on being around children and want to ensure they are properly immunized. The first patient is a 72-year-old man who is refusing a flu vaccine due to a fear of becoming ill like a neighbor had post-vaccination. The initial topic to discuss with this man is that the flu is more dangerous for those aged 65 and older, with higher complications and mortality rates (CDC, 2019). The concern about getting sick from the flu vaccine is a common misconception; most flu vaccines are inactivated, meaning they are killed before injection. Some people may experience symptoms such as fever and headache, but these typically last only a day or two (CDC, 2020). In clinical practice, I recommend that individuals concerned about post-vaccine illness wait until they feel healthy enough to rest. I have personally received the flu vaccine while fighting an illness, which made me feel sicker; however, most times I have only experienced fatigue (CDC, 2020).
The second patient is a 67-year-old woman who should be educated that having had shingles does not guarantee future protection, and vaccination is advised. According to CDC guidelines, she should wait until her shingles rash has fully resolved before receiving the shingles vaccine (CDC, 2018). The flu and shingles vaccines can be administered simultaneously but at different sites. Given the increased susceptibility of children to passing germs, visiting children—such as those in playgroups or schools—pose a high risk of transmitting flu and other infectious agents.
