Health Information Flyer - Research Paper Example

HEALTH INFORMATION INTRODUCTION An explanation of issue and why it was selected Children below the age of five (5) are often prone and at risk to several diseases, most of which end up becoming fetal for them. The reason for this situation is that there the immune systems of such children are not as developed as those of adults and so cannot resist the battling of most disease causing agents as much as an adult can (Haye, 2012). Incidentally, flu is one of the diseases that militate against children most.

What is particular disturbing about the issue of flu in children is that flu normally has a season that it is predominant called the flu peak season. During this type, several children become prone to contracting flu. Once a child gets flu, symptoms including sneezing, coughing and fever are experienced. These symptoms may remain from few days to weeks and may even lead to pneumonia or hospitalization (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.a). The selection of flu in children was actually motivated by a number of factors, common among which has to do with the health risks and threats associated with flu in children.

In a recent research, it was reported that “one in six children under age 5 who went to an emergency department or clinic with fever and respiratory symptoms during the peak flu seasons had the flu" (Poehling, 2013). What this means is that flu continues to threaten children under the age of 5 and continues to be a very current situation since this research is less than one year. The selection of the issue was therefore motivated by the need to find an immediate intervention to a pressing and prevalent situation that confronts people within an identified setting.

Audience being addressed The audience for the present health literacy campaign is adult population, especially parents. It may sound ironic to be tacking an issue affecting children and targeting audience of adults but it is worth noting that the children are those less than five (5) years who cannot take any meaningful decisions for themselves. These children are taken care of by their parents and other adult relatives and so it is for this reason that adults and parents are targeted as audience.

It is expected that when the education and advocacy goes down well with these adults, they will be in a position to implement the acquired knowledge on their little ones and the eventual goes that have been set will be achieved. Suggested strategies The suggested strategies for implementation and use in the present health literacy campaign come in two folds: those that deal with the adult population and those that deals directly with the children. All in all however, the strategy would be around the use of vaccination for both parties.

It has been noted that when parents take a yearly flu shot, it does not only protect them but their children as well (The Harvard School of Public Health, 2010). This is therefore a sure bet for children who are too young to get protected – that their pregnant mothers receive vaccination. But for the children themselves who are old enough, direct vaccination could be introduced to give them long term protection against the contraction of flu. Through vaccination, Poehling (2013) notes that the rates of hospitalization recorded in children will be drastically reduced because of the several diseases that get children hospitalized, "many of those illnesses could have been prevented by vaccination, the best known protection against the flu.

" REFERENCE LIST Haye G. T (2012). Elementary Helathcare through Community Mobilisation Programs. United Express Limited: Chicago. Poehling K. (2013). Vaccines; Flu vaccine rates in children remain lower than expected. ProQuest Document. Biotech Week. 2013: 575. The Harvard School of Public Health. (2010). Health literacy studies. Retrieved February 16, 2013 from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.a). Quick guide to health literacy. Retrieved February 17, 2013 from   http://www.health.gov/communication/literacy/quickguide/Quickguide.

pdf HEALTH INFORMATION FLYER KICK AGAINST FLU GET VACCINATED TODAY REFERENCE LIST Web MD (2013). Flu and Children. Retrieved February 17, 2013 from http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/flu-guide/children-and-flu-influenza Pictures from: Rx List. (2013). Cold and Flu Slideshow. Retrieved February 16, 2013 from http://www.rxlist.com/childrens_cold_flu_slideshow_pictures/article.htm National Geographic. (2013). Influenza Photos. Retrieved February 16, 2013 from http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/photos/influenza/