EDUVAC Vaccination Competence

The vaccinating act and making decisions about it can lead to uncertainty, fear and distress if not accompanied by a good information and communication process. Both the perception of the risk and the doubt in decision-making are a cause for suffering.

Counselling, as using an interactive help process that focuses on the feelings and concerns of people and their meaningful environment to help with coping and problem-solving ability; active listening, as paying close attention and attach importance to the verbal and nonverbal messages of the people we attend. These are actions that can help clarify each person's values in order to facilitate better and effective decision-making.

What is good counselling

Ethics and counselling

Ethics guide choices made. In counselling, ethics underpin the nature and course of actions taken by helping professions.

The person is the central element who suffers, goes through a problem situation, or wants to improve, and who possesses and displays the necessary autonomy to create new conditions or living more adequately what cannot change. Being non-judgmental - is the requirement that the counsellor avoid imposing his/her values on the situation with unconditional positive regard: attitude towards clients despite any judgments which may have been made.

This conception connects with the ethical obligation to respect human rights, accepting personal, cultural, and socioeconomic differences.

Ethics including ethical codes and principles aim to balance the power and ensure that the counsellor operates for the good of the persons and not for self, giving an autonomous decision-making with confidentiality, dignity and non-judgment.

It is required to look at ethics from a holistic perspective – body (the environment, structures, systems, policies, laws, regulations, moral codes, and societal norms), mind (ethical thinking, philosophy), heart (relationships, emotions, values) and spirit (unknowing, unconscious). A complete awareness of the ethics of a situation can occur when all are taken into consideration.

Counselling different population groups

Immunocompromised people

Individuals with different immuno conditions and immuno competences need vaccines because they are at an increased risk of severe infections.  Many people due to desease or aging are undervaccinated but no general consensus is possible. Recommendations from research facilitate physician decisions and ensure the best immune protection with the lowest risk to the health of the patient.

Self-test

Further reading

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