1CMT ALBERIO CONCEPT PAPER

University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Pharmacy Department of Medical Technology A.Y. 2019 -2020 Project VAKUNA: Vaccine Awareness to Know and Understand Natural Ailments Submitted by: ALBERIO, Moe Hazel H. 1C -MT Submitted to: Dr. Gina Lontoc Course FacilitatorBACKGROUND OF THE ADVOCACY PROJECT Immunization is one of the most important public health measures of the 20th century (Anderson, 2015). It accounts for healthier and longer lives for all, most especially among infants and children. Vaccines, biological preparations that stimulates immunity, release weakened antigens of the disease strong enough to aid the body’s immune system to produce antibodies, but not intense enough to trigger the disease itself. Thr ough vaccination, the number of cases of certain diseases may be reduced since it develops individuals to become immune. This benefits not only the health and well -being of the country, but also the overall economic growth as healthier individuals thrive a nd public health systems develop. According to the World Health Organization (2018), some vaccine -preventable diseases present in the Philippines are measles, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, and Japanese encephalitis. As of August 2019, the Department of He alth (DOH) declared the country to have a polio epidemic after 19 years of being free from such disease. As the number of new cases of vaccine -preventable diseases increase in the country, the confidence of the nationals in the effectiveness of vaccines de crease due to vaccine hesitancy. Research studies conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2018) and DOH (2018) displayed results of the decreasing trend of the Filipinos taking vaccines. The controversies regarding Dengvaxia, a vac cine used to protect against dengue disease, is the main reason why citizens opted not to inoculate their children anymore. If the people continue to disuse vaccines to combat such diseases because of misinformation, it is possible for more epidemics to re turn to the country. In order to reverse the negative perspective of Filipino citizens on vaccination in the country, the researcher aims to coordinate with national organizations to prepare and execute seminars to raise awareness on immunization. Training for educators and pr ofessionals, school -to-school visits, orientations in rural areas, and such activities will be conducted. The researcher aims to contribute to the country’s health system by promoting the use of vaccines and presenting facts about this to the target audien ce— ranging from children to adults. With proper information dissemination, people may change their views regarding this matter. Educating the mass with the right concepts is important in order to counter misconceptions. It is possible to lower the chances of spreading contagious yet preventable diseases by learning about immunization. The people must instill in their minds that vaccines are not only for today, but for future generations as well. LITERATURE REVIEW According to the World Health Organizati on, vaccination is an effective treatment used to aid the body’s immune system in identifying and eradicating infectious agents causing abnormalities in the body. These treatments are used to lower the risk of death and morbidity by releasing the same yet weakened antigens which cause diseases but are strong enough to make the immune system produce antibodies that lead to immunity. The promotion and assurance in the effectiveness of vaccines in the Philippines have declined due to vaccine hesitancy. The De partment of Health (DOH) defined vaccine hesitancy as the delay in acceptance of vaccines despite availability of immunization services. A study that measured the impact of theDengvaxia crisis led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine reve aled that confidence in the effectiveness of vaccines dropped from 82% in 2015 to 21% in 2018. The World Health Organization also conducted a research investigation in 2018 in specific regions in Metro Manila to acquire responses on why parents do not inoc ulate their children. The primary response of the samples was the loss of public assurance and trust in vaccines and immunization programs due to the Dengvaxia issue in the nation. There is a possibility that epidemics of vaccine -preventable diseases will return if the citizens discontinue the use and promotion of vaccines. In order to alleviate negative connotations on vaccination in the country, national organizations must prepare and execute seminars and orientations to raise awareness on immunization. According to Al’ Adawi (2017), conducting seminars is recognized as a good system of disseminating information that engage learners in critical thinking by communicating key concepts. There are different ways to disseminate information to the public (Zhan g et al., 2014). The most preferable method to spread information is to use oral communication as a medium to educate people. This is comprehensive and convenient, and feedback may be addressed immediately. The participants of the immunization seminars to be conducted may raise questions and concerns to understand the importance of vaccination in our modern society, despite having issues about Dengvaxia. PLAN OF ACTION In order to combat the increasing mortality rate in the Philippines due to the lack of proper knowledge on immunization, the researcher plans to organize seminars to raise awareness on immunization for all citizens, especially for those people of regions that do not provide proper healthcare facilities and services. Project VAKUNA: Vaccine Awareness to Know and Understand Natural Ailments , or simply Project VAKUNA, is an advocacy project that will help raise awareness on the significance of immunization to the Filipinos in the modern society. By aiding the citizens in knowing and understanding the different ailments or diseases that may be prevented and terminated by vaccines, the overall health and well -being of the people will improve. This will make the citizens more equipped in terms of health -related concerns and remove vaccine hesitancy in their minds. Project VAKUNA aims to educate the people and promote immunization. The researcher plans to coordinate with the following organizations to improve the progress of this project: Department of Health, Philippine Medic al Association, Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, Philippine Red Cross, and Department of Education. Listed below are the proposed activities that abide with the objectives of Project VAKUNA: VacciNATION: Key to National Progress The first activit y of Project VAKUNA will be a training seminar for potential lecturers and educators. In order to have communities who are very much aware about the significance of immunization to our nation, it is important to have well -educated professionals first. This seminar will be led by the heads or head -educators of the Department of Health, Philippine Medical Association, and Philippine Foundation for Vaccination. The participants of this training may come from other health organizations, institutions, or volunte ers who are willing to help build a#VacciNation. The researcher plans to make this a 5 -session seminar that will thoroughly discuss the definition, effects and side effects, consequences, significance, and examples of immunization. Goals and Objectives : – To successfully relay the complete and factual concepts about immunization to potential lecturers – To be able to mold potential lecturers into speakers who are able to motivate and persuade fellow Filipinos – To develop the understanding and critical thinking skills of the participants Organizations involved: – Department of Health – Philippine Medical Association – Philippine Foundation for Vaccination Proposed Timeline: This activity must be accomplished before the other activities of Proje ct VAKUNA begin. This is to ensure that the completers of this seminar will be prepared enough to become the lecturers in the other projects proposed by the researcher. Date Activity 1st -2nd Week of October 2019 Participants may begin registering online 4th Week of October 2019 E-mails will be sent to registered participants 1st Sunday of November 2019 1st Session of VacciNATION 2nd Sunday of November 2019 2nd Session of VacciNATION 3rd Sunday of November 2019 3rd Session of VacciNATION 4th Sunday of November 2019 4th Session of VacciNATION 1st Sunday of December 2019 5th Session of VacciNATION 2nd Sunday of December 2019 Completion Ceremony 2nd Sunday of May 2020 Refresher Course BakuKnow, BakuNow BakuKnow, BakuNow will be an implementation activity of Project VAKUNA that will educate the students of the primary to secondary educational levels. This school -to-school visit will help the stu dents learn more about the importance of immunization through the use of educational caravans and activities such as talks from experts and professionals from credible organizations such as the Department of Health, poster -making contests, exhibits and tes timonies, and other interactive games.Goals and Objectives: – To successfully enrich the minds of the students regarding the significance of immunization in our modern society – To allow the students grow and develop their ideas on vaccination through fun and exciting activities – To encourage the students and their pare nts to be vaccinated Organizations involved: – Department of Health – Department of Education – Administration of the schools to be involved Proposed Timeline: This project will start during the months of June to August, or the start of the next academic ye ar (A.Y. 2020 -2021). This is to promote vaccination to the students before seasons of dengue, chickenpox, or other contagious diseases begin. Also, the dates of the school tour will have to depend on the availability of the schools’ administrations. Biyah eng Ligtas This implementation activity will be for those Filipinos in rural areas or regions where they do not provide proper healthcare facilities or services. In places like those, they most likely do not have the complete set of vaccines needed. The r esearcher plans to have a caravan that will manage medical missions. This will administer free vaccination to the townsfolk and conduct a simple seminar to orient them about immunization as well. The researcher plans to visit the major provinces to ensure that majority of the Filipinos are vaccinated. Goals and Objectives: – To be able to administer free vaccinations to the townsfolk, prioritizing the children aged five years old and below – To educate the people about the significance of vaccination in our modern society – To promote immunization and other important health concepts Organizations involved: – Department of Health – Philippine Medical Association – Philippine Foundation for Vaccination – Philippine Red Cross Proposed Timeline: This project will start in June 2019, starting from the northern regions of the country. In order to make this project successful, the researchers must prepare the following.Date Activity 1st Week of March 2020 Procurement of Sponsors and Needed Resources 3rd Week of March 2020 Recruitment of Volunteers and Educators – must be able to administer vaccines – volunteer educators (not from VacciNATION) may apply 2nd Week of April 2020 Training of Volunteers 1st Week of May 2020 Walkthrough of Destinations and Stops 4th Week of May 2020 Final Reminders 1st Week of June 2020 Start of Biyaheng Ligtas January 20 21 End of Biyaheng Ligtas BUDGETARY REQUIREMENTS Presented below is the overview of the budget proposal for the activities of Project VAKUNA. This includes the total expense for all the project proposals. Expenses Total Cost* Medical Mission Fees – This includes equipment and resources needed for the vaccination proper. The vaccines, syringes, cotton, band -aids, and other items needed for the medical mission falls under this category. It is necessary to use quality products as to ensure its safety an d effectiveness to the patients. Php 670,000.00 Venue Rentals – Venues for the seminars must be considered. The researcher may rent function halls or multipurpose halls in order to conduct the seminars. For Biyaheng Ligtas , the researcher may request tents when administering the free vaccination program. Chairs and tab les to be used in the entire project also falls under this category. 450,500.00 Transportation and Accommodation – A huge amount of money must be allotted to transportation and accommodation because the researcher plans to travel from one place to another with groups of people. This category must consider the budget for each volunteer who are going to be part of the tr ips. Transportation may be by means of vans, buses, ships, trains, and the like. 860,000.00Labor – Other than having volunteers on the team, the researcher may have to request help from other people as well. The team may need drivers, translators, or more manpower to guarantee the success of all the activities. 75,000.00 Miscellaneous Fees – This refers to other expenses and materials needed for the projects mentioned, such as food and drinks for the volunteers. Examples may also include art materials and decor for the contests and games in BakuKnow , BakuNow . 250,000.00 TOTAL Php 2,305,500.00 *These are all estimated costs. Price of each may vary depending on brand, quality, type, and such. Expenses may also vary depending on demand. REFERENCE LIST Al’ Adawi, S. (2017). Exploring the Effectiveness of Implementing Seminars as a Teaching and an Assessment Method in a Children’s Literature Course. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1157953.pdf Anderson, V. (2015). Promoting Childhood Immunizations. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 11 (1), 1. Retrieved from https://www.npjour nal.org/article/S1555 -4155%2814%2900743 -0/pdf Montemayor, M. (2019). Measles outbreak due to vaccine hesitancy: DOH. Retrieved from https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1061526 Newman, M. (2019). DOH must restore trust in vaccination program. Retrieved from https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/01/03/doh -must -restore -trust -in-vaccination -program/ World Health Organization. (n.d.). Why Immunizing Children Matters. Retrieved from http://www.wpro.who.int/philippines/mediacentre/features/immunization_matters/en/ Zhang, N., H uang, H., Su, B., Zhao, J., & Zhang, B. (2014). Information Dissemination Analysis of Different Media towards the Application for Disaster Pre -Warning. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4039515/