Assessing National Public Health Law to Prevent Infectious Disease Outbreaks: Immunization Law as a Basis for Global Health Security

Abstract

Immunization plays a crucial role in global health security, preventing public health emergencies of international concern and protecting individuals from infectious disease outbreaks, yet these critical public health benefits are dependent on immunization law. Where public health law has become central to preventing, detecting, and responding to infectious disease, public health law reform is seen as necessary to implement the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA). This article examines national immunization laws as a basis to implement the GHSA and promote the public's health, analyzing the scope and content of these laws to prevent infectious disease across Sub-Saharan Africa. Undertaking policy surveillance of national immunization laws in 20 Sub-Saharan African countries, this study: (1) developed a legal framework to map the legal attributes relevant to immunization; (2) created an assessment tool to determine the presence of these attributes under national immunization law; and (3) applied this assessment tool to code national legal landscapes. An analysis of these coded laws highlights legal attributes that govern vaccine requirements, supply chains, vaccine administration standards, and medicines quality and manufacturer liability. Based upon this international policy surveillance, it will be crucial to undertake legal epidemiology research across countries, examining the influence of immunization law on vaccination rates and disease outbreaks.

Research on Early Warning and Forecasting System of Public Health Emergencies Based on Complex Network

“…Literature [16] summarizes the research on network public opinion early warning, early warning mechanism, early warning models, and methods of public health emergencies. Literature [17] holds that the spread of dynamic network crisis information is influenced by the psychological factors, personal values, and behaviors of people such as netizens. According to literature [18], the government's publication of information is critical for online information about public health crises.…”

Facilitating Access to a COVID-19 Vaccine through Global Health Law

“…25 Simultaneously, a lack of regulatory capacity in some countries can delay rollout or allow falsified or substandard products to enter the market. 26 Despite WHO efforts to harmonize national approval processes, national governments have differing regulatory capacities to evaluate and approve new drugs, and vaccine approval processes have remained slower than necessary in many countries. 27 Against this diverse national regulatory landscape, global health law can support the regulation of new vaccines in an efficient and effective manner.…”

Parents’ knowledge, attitude, and perception of immunization in Tangerang

“…3 The form of immunization is a useful vaccination in preparing a person's immune system to fight a disease without exposing the person to the disease's symptoms. 4 Recent studies suggest that health workers are factors that affect parents' quality of knowledge and attitudes towards immunization information. The better the information provided by health workers, the better parents' knowledge and attitudes about immunization.…”