Family Health - Immunizations

Families will get proper immunizations and records for every member of the family.

 

Lesson Preparation

Before the lesson, do each of the following:

1. Find out which of the local clinics and hospitals give immunizations. Visit one of them and find out the necessary guidelines for immunizations including which ones are necessary, how often they are given as well as the cost.

2. Review the chart in the lesson and revise it if necessary to meet your local medical guidelines.

3. Gather shot records for family members or a notebook to record which shots family members have received and which ones are needed.

Concepts to be Taught:

Getting immunizations can prevent many communicable diseases. All family members should have immunizations.

Click on the magnifying glass of any image for enlargement.

Introduction:

Ask: Can you remember an epidemic? What disease was it? What happened?

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Show the chart with the standard immunizations

Discuss with the family the resources available in their area for immunizations, schedules and costs.

Show figures #9-11 to discuss the process of getting an immunization

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Ask which of these diseases family members have had: measles, polio, tuberculosis, tetanus, diphtheria, influenza. Use Pictures #1-5 to describe illnesses. (If the teacher needs more information on the diseases, refer to the Notes to the Teacher at the end of the lesson).

Concept #1:

Getting immunizations can prevent many communicable diseases.

A communicable disease is an illness that is spread from one person of animal to another. Some people are strong and healthy and their bodies can fight off the germs that cause disease. Others cannot. A person may get a sickness and recover. They never get sick with the same illness again because their body had developed a natural immunity. This may happen with measles, chicken pox, and mumps.

There is an immunization, usually a shot, can be administered from a medical person. There is another way to give yourself immunity without getting the disease. This immunization changes the person's body so they will not get the sickness.

Some immunizations are given orally, and some are shots which protect against several diseases at once. See pictures #6-8.

Getting a disease can cause some serious damage. For example, polio can cause paralysis, high fevers can damage the grain, liver, heart and other organs, and measles can cause defects in unborn children if their mother gets the disease particularly susceptible to danger from illnesses. Their brains can be impaired, their growth stunted, and they can become handicapped in various ways.

Learning Activity #1: Discuss immunizations and what the family knows about them. Ask family members which immunizations they can remember getting.

Concept #2:

All family members should have proper immunizations.

Getting proper immunizations is one of the easiest ways we can insure our families protection from serious disease. In some places, government agencies will vaccinate everyone as part of national programs. In other places, it is the responsibility of the family to see that all have their immunizations. Either way, parents need to take the responsibility for the health of family members.

The ultimate outcome of having everyone properly immunized is that epidemics will be decreased or eliminated. Smallpox which was once a disease with dreaded epidemics is now gone through immunizations. No one has had smallpox for years.

Learning Activity #2:

Recommendations for which immunizations are needed and frequency of administration can vary from area to area. Show a chart of the requirements where you live. Share with the family what the health clinic or hospital in your area suggested for immunizations, plus the cost and suggestions for record keeping.

Family Activity:

1. Find or start family health records for each member of the family.

2. Make plans to get the immunizations that family members need. Plan for the cost as well as the timing.

List of figures for lesson 5.4

(Click on the numbered links below to view and print full-sized figures)

1. Many diseases are produced by germs and microorganisms that penetrate our body and multiply causing us to feel ill and have a fever.

2. Some diseases, like measles, will cause us to have red spots on our body.

3. Cuts can allow infection to enter out body. Some infections, like tetanus, can be fatal.

4. Polio is a serious disease that can cause us to become an invalid.

5. Tuberculosis affects the lungs and is a very serious disease.

6. The vaccine for polio is given orally, usually on a cube of sugar. It is given in several administrations.

7. The polio vaccine is carefully prepared in a laboratory. It is a small quantity of the same germs that cause polio.

8. The method to prevent illness is through vaccinations. Several vaccines can be given at one session, as in the case of diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus.

9. With that method, people can be protected against a variety of diseases.

Figure 10. Some immunizations are given by injection. It may cause a little pain, but is nothing comported to the suffering caused by a serious illness.

11. It is important to record the date that each family member received their immunizations. Each family needs a calendar to record when they need to get their immunizations.