Hepatitis B immunisation program for high-risk groups in South Australia

Utilizing standardized guidelines in safety, the report further delves in establishing the effectiveness of the program in delivering care within the precincts of the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards. The report notes that the program in its structure, despite having a robust framework of ensuring delivery of quality and safe intervention, lacks an effective sustainability and long-term cost-effectiveness plan. The program sits on high risks of shifting health, political and financial environment which poses critical risks to its implementation and viability. The recommendations based on the findings are that the program requires a structure that details its sustainability beyond the available government support, and an effective risk management plan. It is also critical for the program to forge an implementation cost-benefit analysis to effectively establish its cost-effectiveness in the long run.

The incidence of Hepatitis B in Australia in 2016 was reported per the surveillance reports to be 6502. Health reports indicate that there has been a decline in the hepatitis B incidence among young persons with a significant increase in the age groups between 25 years to 39 years (The Kirby Institute, 2016). The reported reduction in the incidence among the young populations is linked to the infant and adolescent immunization schedule. The increased reports of increased incidences among the other population groups is a strong indicator of low herd immunity in the population hence the important need for the program to complement the existing immunization schedules to enhance the heard immunity reducing the risk of infection. The significant role of high-risk population groups in hepatitis B infection can be derived from the hepatitis B statistics in Australia which indicate a critical need to ensure immunization to reduce the incidence rates.

The government provides the funding requirements for the hepatitis vaccination for the most at-risk program. The healthcare workers and hepatitis vaccines are also provided by the state within the healthcare system. Ethical Considerations Ethical practice in health is a critical aspect in delivering safe population oriented public health interventions (Newson, 2015). All the health interventions must ensure to first ensure the safety of the persons involved in the intervention, respect their rights and privacy, ensure justice in way of provision of care and the intervention should be of benefit to the majority of the population or community (O’Mara-Eves et al. Benefits to Others The Hepatitis B immunization program for the high-risk populations as a public health intervention aligns to the ethical standards of all medical and public health interventions (King, 2017).

The immunisation program is structured to ensure that the safety of the patient as well as the quality of service delivery is maintained. The program operates within the provisions of the immunisation recommendations and offered through the approved healthcare system. The utilization of the mainstream healthcare system ensures that there is an effective control in the vaccines used for the vaccinations as well as ensuring quality assurance in the delivery (injection) of the vaccine by qualified health practitioners. The program conducts hepatitis B tests on all patients who are aged above 15 years to ascertain their hepatitis B status prior to injecting the immunization (Government of South Australia, n. d. d. Other locations of the immunisation services such as the community health centres, doctors’ offices and local council immunisation centres ensure that the immunization services access is eased for all the at risk-population ensuring distributive justice in the administration of the vaccines (WHO).

Respect Others The program ensures that the rights of the population groups that are targeted by the program are respected. The program operates on a voluntary basis with the high-risk populations having unrestricted but voluntary access to the vaccine. The program ensures that the patient's cultural or religious rights are respected through the provision of pre-vaccination counselling and patient have the right to opt out as per their choice. Existing and Future Policy The South Australia Immunisation Strategy 2016-2020, aims to support expansion and safety of immunisation coverage in West Australia. The strategy will be subject to the existing federal policies. A shift in government health policies can be a critical risk-source for the program. The program sustainability is based on the funding received from State funding hence putting it at the risk of shifting government policies that might limit funding on the program.

Funding limitations to the program would consequently limit the ability of the program to support immunization for the high-risk populations hence. According to the available data on the prevalence's and incidence of hepatitis in the general population as well as the high-risk groups, the need for the program is depicted as critical. The utilization of epidemiological theories and statistics to develop primary care intervention is of core importance in public health and critical to developing effective public health interventions that meet the needs of the communities. The program interacts effectively with the ethical principles of health care providers to ensure that the patient groups targeted as well as the general public's rights are respected while maintaining the safety and high standards of care.

Despite a robust structure and availability of the resources, the program is not proof from risks often associated with healthcare programs. The dynamic government policies regarding the approach in the delivery of healthcare interventions to population groups, changing political-legal and also financial environments pose significant risks to the program's attainment of its goals and objectives.  National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS). [online] Www9. health. gov. au. gov. au. Available at: http://www. sahealth. sa. Selective Hepatitis B Virus Vaccination Has Reduced Hepatitis B Virus Transmission in The Netherlands.  PLoS ONE, 8(7), p. e67866. King, C. Clinical Ethics: Patient and Provider Safety. php/en/media-page/statistics/hepatitis-b-statistics [Accessed 6 Oct. National Standards Safety and Quality (n. d. Medication Safety. [online] Nationalstandards. The value of clinical ethics support in Australian health care.