WA2

Brianna

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With the ongoing public health problems in the USA, such as COVID-19 pandemic, the most current spread of Monkey Pox, and those diseases that are seen to be preventable but are on the list of top illnesses killing Americans, such as: heart disease, diabetes, cancers, etc., the systems thinking approach is needing to be utilized more heavily than it has been in the past. The systems thinking approach should have many agencies involved in the utilization of the approach, such as CDC, FDA, HRSA, AHRQ, and ACF. As all of the different agencies involved in the public health sector of the United States, all should be involved in the progression of the systems thinking approach as it helps with problem solving and using previous knowledge of those involved to come up with new and innovative ways to better the community. 

As most residents in the United States know and have at least heard of, the CDC is heavily involved in addressing the outbreaks of diseases, more agencies in the United States health sector should be more involved in addressing the outbreaks. Some of the agencies that should be more involved in the addressing of the disease outbreaks are also those that I listed above that should be more involved in the usage of the systems thinking approach. Some of those include the FDA, AHRQ, ACF, HRSA, CMS, and those programs that also fall under previously listed organizations such as: CCID, and NCPDCID. As I do believe the FDA should be involved in the disease outbreaks, the agency is the one that has to approve the vaccinations that are tested to help with the disease outbreak. AHRQ, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, they look at the research done of the vaccine that is being produced and similar vaccines for similar diseases, and better research for better understanding of the disease, vaccine, and other treatments through data research and collection. ACF, Administration for Children and Families, should be involved in the addressing of disease outbreaks by explaining by children and their families need to be getting the vaccinations that are being heavily researched to ensure protection. As it is now a very popular thing to pick and choose which vaccines should be given to children by the parents or guardians, it is incredibly dangerous for both the children not receiving the vaccines, such as the MMR vaccine. ACF should be involved in giving that information to parents on why it is so important and ensuring that families have a way to contact someone that could help them understand the vaccines that are available for children. 

Mandatory vaccinations are very important in the world as the vaccines are produced to prevent eradicated diseases from producing a disease outbreak. Some of the very deadly diseases such as measles, smallpox, and many more have vaccinations that have helped with the eradication of the disease. With many people now deciding against vaccinating themselves or their families, many of those diseases are coming back and causing outbreaks. Also, making vaccinations mandatory for private and public health care and health service providers, shows the world that those involved in the health care sector, that the vaccinations are safe and show be more utilized. Also, with those in the health care sector, they are constantly exposed to viruses and diseases by patients or those in the community, the mandatory vaccination would help with the prevention of the provider or worker from having the active disease and from spreading it to others. 

From previous outbreaks, such as smallpox, influenza and more recently COVID-19, some lessons to be learned from how the outbreaks affected the world. The world was not properly prepared for a disease outbreak to occur each and every time the outbreak happened. This past outbreak of COVID-19 helped show the world and those agencies why being prepared is so important. The world has now researched and found the ways to better prepare themselves and the citizens from another outbreak. The hospitals are better equipped with the needed PPE and have the proper protocols in place in cases of the disease. One change I have seen in healthcare provision that has become the new norms is the usage of masks and gloves. The healthcare sector has previously used the PPE when they knew they were treating or encountering a patient that has an infectious disease, but since the pandemic of COVID-19, it has been mandated all across the world to use masks and other proper equipment to reduce the risk of getting the disease.