Ninth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Inconsistent communicable disease prevention interventions among healthcare personnel (HCPs) speaks to the limits of public health law and policy and the importance of HCPs ethical obligations. To what extent each intervention should be implemented is circumstantial and based on disease severity, disease prevalence, vaccination uptake rate, and population. Due to their profession, HCPs are at a heightened occupational risk of contracting influenza, tuberculosis (TB), and hepatitis B (HBV) due to their increased exposure to immunocompromised populations like children, the elderly, and those with chronic disease. This project analyzes communicable disease prevention intervention methods in relation to vaccine uptake among HCPs regarding influenza, TB, and HBV in an effort to evaluate current policy and suggest improved vaccine regulation within Israel. Influenza, TB, and HBV will be utilized as case studies for investigating the “spectrum” of communicable disease prevention interventions among HCPs. Each disease is unique in its history, vaccine efficacy, vaccine uptake among HCPs, and regulation. Taking a case-study approach to investigating communicable disease prevention interventions among HCPs requires clear and effective comparative methods. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews and critical document analysis are chosen as methods to properly execute the case study comparison. The interviews and documents will be analyzed using NVivo software. This project outlines the complexity of decision making processes for implementing influenza, TB and HBV prevention interventions among HCPs in Israel. Each disease poses a significant threat for HCPs and healthcare settings, yet communicable disease prevention regulation, including vaccine policy, is either inconsistent, not properly upheld, or fragmentary.