While with medical conditions such as lung disease,

While searching Grand Rapids, Michigan news report on the internet, it was easy to identify an unhealthy characteristic within the community. The amount of people suffering from infectious diseases is on the rise in West Michigan. Currently, the most common infectious disease in Kent County is influenza. According to Kent County Health Department, during the week of January 20, 2018, there were 425 reported cases of influenza. Influenza is a significant health issue that is easily spread from person to person but can be prevented with resources within the community, such as vaccinations and proper hand hygiene. Members of vulnerable populations often have health conditions that are exacerbated by inadequate healthcare or infectious diseases.

The vulnerable population that is targeted with this infectious disease includes pregnant women, health care workers, adults aged 65 and over, children under aged 5 and people with medical conditions such as lung disease, heart disease, and diabetes. These particular individuals are at a higher risk for more serious complications from the influenza virus due to weakened and depressed immune systems. Having a weakened or depressed immune system makes it harder for the human body to fight off infections. Therefore, it is highly recommended that everyone in the community, especially those in the vulnerable population, to receive an influenza vaccination. Many factors influence the health and well-being of a community. Some factors include income status, age, education and accessibility to resources. Fortunately, within the community of Kent County, valuable resources are readily available to the population. Majority of the individuals who reside in Kent County have the access to clean water, soap, sanitizer, education, and the flu vaccination.

According to the CDC, a yearly flu vaccine is the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses. The influenza vaccination is beneficial by giving the body a chance to build up immunity to the virus before the body becomes in contact with it. The vaccination can be administered intramuscularly as an injection or intranasal as a mist. Although the influenza vaccine is very important for protecting people that are high risk, the effectiveness can vary from year to year and among different age groups. Health People 2020 strives to identify nationwide diseases and opportunities for health improvement. Increased public awareness and understanding of health issues and diseases help assist the leading health indicators to summarize information given upon a topic in the community and population of health. That information can then be tracked and processed to identify the performance and progress over time.

The priority health indicator that correlates best with the unhealthy outbreak of influenza in Kent County is clinical preventive services. According to the CDC, clinical preventive services include screenings for chronic conditions, immunizations for diseases such as influenza and pneumonia, and counseling about personal health behaviors. Evidence-based preventive services are effective in reducing, eliminating, and/or maintaining elimination of cases of vaccine-preventable diseases such as influenza. This health indicator corresponds with the outbreak of influenza in Kent County by providing effective vaccines to reduce or eliminate the total amount of influenza cases this year. According to Health People, immunizations have prevented millions of influenza-related cases each year.     Health People 2020 goals for immunization and infectious diseases are embedded in evidence-based clinical and community activities for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Annual influenza associated deaths and hospitalizations are common leading the CDC to estimate that 3, 000 to 49, 000 deaths have occurred related to influenza.

This infectious disease is easily spread from person to person but can be prevented with vaccines that are available within the community of Kent County. The influenza vaccination is the first most important step for preventing the infectious disease with the assistance of using proper hand hygiene. Influenza is a serious infectious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death especially in the vulnerable population.