Today in society, when it comes to the word vaccines, many people have started to back away from either getting vaccines themselves or for their children. In this issues brief, the topic of vaccines along with many outside studies and facts will be looked at in order to help policy makers come to an understanding of the essential benefits of having everyone get vaccinated. However, because the topic of vaccines is too broad for one issue brief to cover, this issues brief will focus on the influenza vaccine.

The history of vaccines goes all the way back to Edward Jenner and the smallpox vaccination. Jenner was a doctor who lived in Berkeley, England. In that time period, smallpox was a deadly disease that many fell victim to. However, Jenner noticed that the milkmaids who were infected with the cowpox disease did not show any symptoms of getting smallpox. Thus, in 1796, he performed an experiment by taking pus from a cowpox lesion and infecting a healthy patient. Six weeks later, when Jenner infected the boy with the smallpox virus, he found that the boy also showed no signs or symptoms. Thus came the invention of the vaccination.

When it comes to analyzing what exactly caused the transition against vaccinations, there isn’t a specific incident. Instead, the problem is both the effectiveness of vaccinations against the deadlier diseases that resulted in such diseases like polio or smallpox to be completely or almost eradicated and the government’s inability to effectively communicate the dangers of not getting vaccines with the public. And as a result, those who do not get the vaccines will be negatively affected in the long-term. Without vaccines, viruses can spread and, from looking back in history, can cause not only epidemics but also pandemics as well.

Many people – mainly health professionals – are for getting vaccines. According to them, vaccines can decrease one’s chances from getting infected with a transmittable disease. On the opposite side is mainly the public. The arguments and worries they hold are that vaccines aren’t that effective, cost too much, and can cause serious side effects. And a small portion claim that getting vaccines is against their religious beliefs.

In face of all the fears and worries, many studies from a variety of public departments and independent scientists have been undertaken in an attempt to understand the potential harm and benefits of vaccines. For the influenza, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a paper on the impacts of influenza, commonly known as the flu. According to them, “between 1976 and 2006, estimates of flu-associated deaths in the United States range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people” (CDC). In fact, there was “56979) deaths from Influenza and Pneumonia in 2013, placing it in 8^th place in the leading causes of death, just following diabetes (CDC).

There is a myriad of resources available for those who would like to obtain more specific information. Some helpful groups are Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (vaccines and immunizations website), NCSL, American Academy of Pediatrics, Institute for Vaccine Safety by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of public Health to name a few. If you are interesting in looking into the financial impacts of vaccines, the www.resource-allocation.com website provides many articles and studies done in relation to cost effectiveness and resource allocations.

Recommended Solutions:

There are many factors involving vaccinations. However, there are two options to address this issue.

Option #1:

Pass a law requiring everyone to get vaccinated for influenza every year and back it up with lowering the cost.

In order to obtain a goal, direct action is the best solution. By passing a law, this can effectively decrease the chances of people getting infected from something a vaccine can prevent. In addition, by lowering the cost of each vaccine, there won’t be as much pressure for those with lower-income. In addition, by making the cost lower, the law can be met with less resistance.

However, problems with this option range from financial to political. While it would really help the patients to receive a cheaper vaccination, especially for those without insurance, the question then becomes who will pay for the rest. Because the influenza vaccination is mainly grown in eggs, the process is very long and costly. Thus, there needs to be a decision on who will pay for the costs: insurance, the government, or the patients themselves.

Another problem is with the law itself. There may be people who will argue that it is unfair to enforce everyone to get the vaccination. This would essentially go against their human rights. Finding a solution to this problem can be a problem.

Therefore, perhaps a better way to approach this problem would be to start with a law that looks over a smaller group of people: students. It is both reasonable to ask that students be vaccinated prior to going to school. It would therefore ensure that the child gets vaccinated and that there will be no spread of the flu between people who are in close proximity for a long period of time.

Option #2:

Give the public more access to information about influenza and aim to broaden the knowledge. More informed citizens means a general better decision that is made.

This is more of a passive approach to the problem and therefore will have less opposition. However, it would be hard to say whether the option will work. However, assuming that the idea that education/knowledge of a subject will allow a person to make a better, more informed decision, by providing ample evidence to those who may be worried or unsure of whether they would like to get the vaccination. Previously, the resources available to the public are limited. It is only during the flu season that one starts to see brochures kindly encouraging people to go to the nearest clinic to get their vaccination along with a brief introduction to what the flu virus is. However, unless a person is actively scouring the government department websites looking for information, information is scarce. Thus, it is important to have the vaccination information available at all times. This can include having detailed information on a paper that doctors are required to give to their patients each time they have an appointment. Posters can also be posted in public buildings that focus on a single graph of the potential impact of vaccines – thus making the information both available, easily understandable, and eye-catching. In addition, reformation of the school education can help inform children of the impact of vaccines and at the same time encouraging parents to reconsider their views can help the next generation to be more aware.

Implementation:

The implementation of either option will be a long process. Policymakers will have to take a stand and try to open up the information to the public. Ultimately, it will be considered a success when everyone is getting vaccinated and there are no more deaths related to influenza because of a missed vaccination.

Ultimately, policymakers need to approve this approach and in turn tell the public. There needs to be a close teamwork with health professional, scientists, policymakers, and businessmen to put together a solid plan of action towards the policy of vaccinations. After all, everyone is entitled to the benefits.

How does MLK begin reframing the discourse around his activities involving civic disobedience? What is you response?

– MLK basically is reframing the discourse around his activities involving civic disobedience by saying pointing out how they (him and the people who follow him) are not in the wrong. First off, he addresses the clergymen in a polite voice. And in this voice, he points out that it was too late to keep postponing the right for freedom. He points out the injustice towards everyone and how logically they had to do something. In addition, I thought that it was really critical that he point out that they had no choice but to do something like breaking the law because the law was wrong.

What is your response to MLK’s explanation of non-violence?

– I would say that MLK’s explanation of non-violence is quite interesting. I understand that if fighting against fellow humans could cause riots and result in more hatred. By using violence, one can end up enforcing the idea that they were harmful/rude. In addition, by having non-violence, one can be respected. However, the problem is that non-violence can lead to nowhere/everything would move very slowly. In addition, just being non-violent doesn’t mean that other’s won’t be non-violent.

What are your thoughts on the in-group tensions and dynamics that both Malcolm and MLK attempt to confront?

– I feel that in-group tensions are not really about thinking for the best of the people, but rather due to corruption. Especially for Malcolm, those at the top were for money and power. As for MLK, he faced opposition in the area of the type of strategy to fight for freedom – one for doing nothing and one for going all out. He had to try to find the middle ground.

I would say that Malcolm’s rationale for the creation of this organization is because he felt that the initial goal was starting to be lost because of the tactics that the previous group was trying use. Rather than fighting against each other, Malcolm wanted to make the Organization of Afro-American Unity to join all Africans together to fight against the prejudice. And rather than just sitting there passively, he wants to take action – fast and hard. One way of doing so is to learn to become more independent from whites, whether it is in the education aspect, increasing voters, and building their own community. Through building the community, one could essentially refine one’s culture, language, etc. It’s no longer following the “white” people’s rules, but being proud of being “black”.

My interpretation of the self-defense policy that Malcolm talks about is that it is okay to be violent. And instead of being a crime it would be called self-defense. This is all due to the fact that it is silly that they should stay there doing nothing and allowing the bullies to continue to bully them. Instead, according to the self-defense policy, when one is being bullied they have the right (second amendment to bear arms) to fight back to regain that freedom or right. And all this is possible through the law.

In this speech, education is such an important component because without education there is so much that can be hidden. By being educated one has more ability to stand up for what they believe in and have more of a say. It’s harder for others to look down on you if you are more educated or just as much as them. Thus, by changing the education for their children, they are essentially building up the next generation to fight against prejudice.

I believe in closing my eyes. This, however, doesn’t mean closing my eyes and falling asleep. Closing my eyes, in this context, means staying awake but being blind to the world for a brief period of time. It’s hard to explain, but there’s something special about shutting your eyes in the midst of the day. Perhaps it’s how one of your five senses suddenly goes “offline” and your whole body must quickly readjust and enhance the remaining four senses. And for those five minutes or so, you can hear, smell, taste, and feel the world in a way that you have never experienced before. Suddenly, it feels like everything is going to work out.

I have been using this technique for years now – but it was only recently that I began to understand what made this brief period of time so attractive, so addictive, so necessary in my life. One of the most recent times was here in Penn State, on a fall afternoon. That morning, nothing seemed to be going as planned. I ended up sleeping through my alarm clock and waking up with only fifteen minutes to get dressed, eat, and sprint to class. It was only when I did arrive at the doors of an empty classroom in Chambers that I realized that I was in the wrong building. An appointment with an advisor took my entire lunchtime and I had no choice but go to class empty-handed and hungry. By 2 pm, I was exhausted and more than a little irritated. I had barely gone through half a day and I was already wishing the day could come to an end so I can start anew. And out of pure habit, I sat down on the bench outside my classroom and slowly closed my eyes…

Darkness clouded my vision. I was first greeted with silence, but as my ears adjusted to the surroundings, sounds came rushing in. The slight crunch of the autumn leaves that had long left the tall branches of the overhead trees, underneath passerby’s feet. An occasional rustle of – perhaps a squirrel or a rabbit – hustling to gather food before snow covered the ground. The mixture of different footsteps of people passing by…some heavy and slow, some light and quick. The swish of the backpack against an undergraduate’s jacket.

Then followed touch. The prickly – not yet numbing – feeling of my cheeks, eyelids, and forehead as the chilly November wind playfully blew on my vulnerable face, heralding the coming of winter. The remaining warmth underneath my winter coat, slowly seeping through the seams despite all attempts to keep it in. The ice-cold touch of the metal bench on my fingertips. The tingly feeling in my feet that were in boots half a size too small.

Next came smell, a subtle visitor, bringing with it the smell of food. A tangy smell, the kind that slipped into your nose and made you shiver a little on the inside – perhaps it was a take out from Panda Express. A gust of wind that cleared it away, followed by a floral scent that lingered a while before gently floating away, giving room for more surprises.

And finally, I took in a deep breath, taste. Cold, mind-clearing air that jolted my eyes open.

I was back in the colorful, ever hustling and bustling Penn State campus, sitting outside on a sunny autumn day. The events that had happened in the morning seemed so far away and so small and insignificant. I was reminded once again that life can be chaotic, but simplicities also existed. All I had to do was close my eyes.

First of all, I would like that thank everyone for inputing comments on my blog ideas. I have finally figured out what I want to write about this semester.

For my passion blog, I am going to take a look at one piece of art and basically talk about it. I haven’t really decided what I am going to be talking about for each of the pieces of art. I guess it would just depend on what I thought about when viewing or researching it. This way it makes each blog a lot more exciting to read! Possible information/comments I can post on there would be the time period or basic historical facts found on the internet, my initial thoughts, my thoughts after giving myself ample time to really dig a little deeper into the details, possible thoughts the author was thinking (through research or art critics), and possible inspiration obtained from the art.

For my civic issues blog, I have decided to focus on energy. After going through middle school and high school hearing about all the possible ways of obtaining energy in the distant future, I have decided to look into all different ways energy can be obtained. Possible blogs include but are not limited to: wind, sun, water, natural gas/coal, and electricity. If it happens that within the span of this semester I have looked into all possible energy obtaining resources, I plan to go in depth into each of the previous topics by using current events/inventions that are related to energy (buildings, cars, etc). Hopefully I’ll be an expert in this field by May! 🙂

I believe in closing my eyes. This doesn’t mean sleeping, but rather the act of staying awake but blind to the world for 5 minutes or more at a time. It’s hard to explain – there’s something special about shutting your eyes in the midst of the day. Perhaps it’s how, suddenly, one of your five senses is suddenly “offline” and your body needs to quickly readjust and enhance the remaining four senses. And for those five minutes or so, you can hear, taste, smell, and feel the world in a way that you have never experienced before. Suddenly, it feels like everything is going to work out, that the world isn’t working against you but with you.

I have been using this technique for years now – but it was only recently that I really came to understanding as to what made this brief period of time so attractive, so addictive and necessary in my life. One of the most recent times was here in Penn State, on a fall afternoon. That morning, everything just seemed to be going so wrong. I ended up missing my alarm clock and had to full out sprint to the Chambers Building for my 8 am class, only to realize that I had the wrong building. An appointment with an advisor took up all my time for lunch, and I didn’t have time to grab my books for the next class. By 2 pm, I was exhausted – dead tired and a bit grumpy. Scratch that. Really grumpy. I had just wished the day could end and I could start anew. And out of habit, I sat down on the bench outside my classroom and closed my eyes.

Darkness clouded my vision. I was greeted with silence, and then the sounds came rushing in. The slight crunch of the autumn leaves that had long left the tall branches of the overhead trees, underneath passersby’s feet. An occasional rustle of small animals, probably hustling to gather food before snow covered the ground. The shifting of backpacks on an undergraduate’s back and the swishing of jackets.

Then followed touch. The prickly – not yet numbing – feeling of my cheeks, eyelids, and forehead as the chilly November wind playfully blew on my vulnerable face, heralding the coming of winter. The remaining warmth that my down coat was desperately attempting to hold in slowly seeping out. The cold touch of the metal bench. The tingly feeling in my feet that were in boots half a size too small.

Next came smell but much more subtle. The smell of food. Pizza? No. It was a tangy smell, the kind that slipped into your nose and made you shiver a little. Perhaps a take out from Panda Express. A gust of wind that cleared it away, followed by a floral scent. Definitely someone’s perfume. It lingered a while before gently floating away, giving room for another smell.

And finally, I took in a deep breath, taste. Cold, mind-clearing air that jolted my eyes open. I was back in the colorful, every bustling and hustling Penn State campus, sitting outside on a sunny day. The events that had happened in the morning seemed so far away and so small. I was reminded that though there were complexities in life, the world gave us simplicities to balance those complexities out. There was something to be realized in simply closing your eyes – something special.

I believe in the block of wood that comes in all different sizes and colors. Well, to be more specific, it’s more like the people that reside in it. I believe that my fascination towards this object started when I was quite young and it has only grown since then.

At the tender age of seven, I remember peering into this block of wood and seeing the extended hand of a creature that was dressed in yellow fur and had a tall black hat. I laughed at how he always spoke in rhymes and at his pursuer who was carrying a plate of what looked like green eggs and ham. In a house, with a goat, in a train, in the rain – no matter with who it was or where, to take a bite he would not dare! But then, in front of my eyes, he took a bite and what a surprise, he really liked it – green eggs and ham… even in my limited understanding, at that moment I really wanted to take a bite as well. And it was with this yellow creature sporting a tall, black hat that I learned to not judge something by the looks – whether food or people.

But the visits to this world didn’t stop and as I grew I gathered more tid-bits of wisdom here or there. On a summer day, I met a nice girl and her dog and followed her down a yellow brick road. Despite being so young and scared at time, we were able to conquer a field of deadly flowers and defeat the wicked witch because of the friends we had with us. Later on, I befriended a rat that taught me to do whatever I wanted as long as I had the will to fight on. After all, if he could be a high-class chef, why can’t I become a doctor, a lawyer, or even a CEO of a large company? But of course, Tina would chide, all success must come from hard work, as she twirls around in her newly opened restaurant. Another companion I had was a girl who dressed up like a boy to fight in her father’s place. My eyes widened in amazement as I watched her climb to the top of the pole and snatch the arrow. I cheered as she singlehandedly fought off the enemy with sheer brilliance and courage, causing me to wonder if I could do that as well. Another girl with skin was white as snow, allowed me to watch her perform acts of selflessness in spite of the cruelty of her stepmother. And because of her kindness, she gained many long-lasting friends.

I have walked with each of them, watched them trip over holes in the ground but stand up again. It’s those lessons they have taught me about being a person that I hold dear in my heart. And that is why I believe in the block of wood that comes in all different sizes and colors. A block of wood that goes by another name: a book.

For my “This I Believe” Blog, I am thinking about the following two ideas:

1. I believe in fairy tales – not because of the pretty cartoons and all, but the deeper meanings behind each and every one of these stories. Each story holds a moral and a dream – something that bridges childhood and adulthood. If I were to talk about this, I want to look into this idea that through fairy tales I have been shaped to who I am today.

2. I believe in a smile – it doesn’t have to be a word, just a smile to make someone’s day. If I were to talk about this, I want to look into this idea of the effect of a single smile on someone’s life. Often times, a smile can break the ice or give assurance to others.

For my Passion Blog, I am thinking about the following two ideas:

1. I can talk about food. It can be cafeteria food, restaurant food, refrigerator food, or snacks even. I’ve always liked eating and this way I will be able to go around to try different things!

2. I can pick a single photograph or drawing and talk about my thoughts on it. I’ve always been interested in how the illustrator/artist would portray something and the idea of how it can be different for each individual viewer. Hopefully through this blog and the comments, we can explore the different viewpoints in art.

For my Civic Issue Blog, I am thinking about the following two ideas:

1. Environment – I was thinking about issues like fracking and alternate energy sources. Perhaps each blog I can focus on one idea and do some research on it and look at the pros and cons of each, including natural gas and coal as energy.

2. Education – I was thinking about talking about affirmative action and its pros and cons. I want to look at the two different viewpoints of if it is helpful, if it harms “white” students, and if there are certain ethnicities or races that are helped more than others.