Healthy People 2020: Childhood Immunizations

Healthy People 2020: Childhood Immunizations
Every year, the number of preventable diseases fluctuates. In 2008 the number of measles cases worldwide was 147,181, and in 2011 the number of cases was 356,632. However, in 2014, the number was back down to 138,386 (Council on Foreign Relations, n.d.). The suffering related to childhood preventable diseases like: polio, measles, mumps, chicken pox, and whooping cough, is a tragedy that not only affects the infected individual, but also the family, community, and the nation it occurs in. Immunizations for these diseases have been proven safe and effective, yet people still refuse to vaccinate for various reasons. Healthy people 2020 has made one of their leading health indicators, increasing the
Nationally, the federal poverty level for a family of four is $24,250 annually (HealthCare, n.d.). There are several causes of poverty in the United States; Hunger in America believes there are three main causes for this. The first main cause is poverty in the world, due to trade, immigration, and implications of trade and immigration. “The implication of trade and immigration for people in the United States who are subject to this competition is that jobs are scarce and there is great downward pressure on wages” (World Hunger Education Service, 2015). The second main cause is the operation of the US economic and political system. With this cause, the economic system “will create a significant amount of poverty” (World Hunger Education Service, 2015) with normal day-to-day operation. World Hunger cites “The US political system, which should address the major problems of its citizens, is to a great extent not focused on fundamental concerns of poor people, but on other concerns” (World Hunger Education Service, 2015). The third and final cause that Hunger in America talks about is the “actual physical and behavioral issues among some people who are poor” (World Hunger Education Service, 2015). By this, one can believe that this is from people who are segregated by income and race, as well as jobs being scarce, leading to crime as a means of income which keeps these
The Vaccines for Children program offers vaccines for eligible children at no cost. Children can get these vaccines at their primary caregiver’s office if the primary caregiver is part of the program. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “The Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program helps provide vaccines to children whose parents or guardians may not be able to afford them. This helps ensure that all children have a better chance of getting their recommended vaccinations on schedule” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). The children who are eligible for the VFC program are children Medicaid eligible, those who are uninsured, American Indian or Alaska Native, as well as underinsured who receive vaccinations at a Federally Qualified Healthcare