Smallpox Vaccination: An Update

Course #68533 -

Overview

Vaccinia is a live virus vaccine that was last routinely used in the United States in 1972. Since then, advances have been made in the safety of commonly used vaccines. Vaccinia's usual side effects are not expected in today's vaccines. In addition, the health profile of the population has changed, because there are more citizens with immune system problems. Therefore, this course will highlight the expected side effects, common reactions, and contraindications to the vaccine. Care of the vaccine site to protect the vaccinee and contacts will be stressed.

Education Category: Infection Control / Internal Medicine
Release Date: 12/01/2021
Expiration Date: 11/30/2024

Table of Contents

Audience

This intermediate course is designed for psychologists who must make informed decisions about participation in the voluntary pre-event vaccination program and to answer questions from patients, family, and friends about the vaccine.

Accreditations & Approvals

Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.

Designations of Credit

NetCE designates this continuing education activity for 5 credit(s).

Course Objective

The purpose of this course is to help psychologists make informed decisions about participation in the voluntary pre-event vaccination program and to answer questions of patients, family, and friends about the vaccine. In addition, the IDT will have necessary information about smallpox should a terrorist act result in the transmission of the smallpox virus.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

  1. Relate the historical significance of the smallpox vaccine as well as the disease of smallpox, its symptoms, and its outcomes.
  2. Describe the technique of ring vaccination.
  3. Discuss the vaccine currently available, and describe the immunity developed by vaccinia.
  4. Identify four contraindications to receiving vaccinia in a pre-event scenario.
  5. List the steps and technique for administration of vaccinia, including the types of dressings recommended for the vaccine site and appropriate use of each.
  6. Enumerate the steps for effective handwashing.
  7. Describe the response and expected reactions to vaccinia.
  8. Identify complications of vaccinia and the appropriate treatments.
  9. List adverse events associated with vaccinia and available treatments.
  10. Discuss cultural factors that affect the informed consent process.

Faculty

Elizabeth T. Murane, PHN, BSN, MA, received her Bachelor’s degree in nursing from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and a Master of Arts in Nursing Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York.

Her nursing experience includes hospital nursing on pediatric, medical, and surgical units. She lived for 15 years in a village in Eastern Papua New Guinea providing medical and linguistic/literacy services for the villagers. She was a public health nurse for a year with the Brooklyn, New York Health Department and 20 years with the Shasta County Public Health Department in Redding, California. As a public health nursing director, she developed response plans for environmental and health issue disasters for both Shasta County and adjacent Tehama County Public Health Departments.

Faculty Disclosure

Contributing faculty, Elizabeth T. Murane, PHN, BSN, MA, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.

Division Planner

James Trent, PhD

Division Planner Disclosure

The division planner has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.

Director of Development and Academic Affairs

Sarah Campbell

Director Disclosure Statement

The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.

About the Sponsor

The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.

Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.

Disclosure Statement

It is the policy of NetCE not to accept commercial support. Furthermore, commercial interests are prohibited from distributing or providing access to this activity to learners.

Technical Requirements

Supported browsers for Windows include Microsoft Internet Explorer 9.0 and up, Mozilla Firefox 3.0 and up, Opera 9.0 and up, and Google Chrome. Supported browsers for Macintosh include Safari, Mozilla Firefox 3.0 and up, Opera 9.0 and up, and Google Chrome. Other operating systems and browsers that include complete implementations of ECMAScript edition 3 and CSS 2.0 may work, but are not supported. Supported browsers must utilize the TLS encryption protocol v1.1 or v1.2 in order to connect to pages that require a secured HTTPS connection. TLS v1.0 is not supported.

Implicit Bias in Health Care

The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.

Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.