August is National Immunization Awareness Month
National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is an annual observance to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. NIAM was established to encourage people to make sure they are up to date on the vaccines recommended for them. Communities have continued to use the month of August each year to raise awareness about the important role vaccines play in preventing serious, sometimes deadly, diseases.
NIAM is sponsored by the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC). NPHIC, in collaboration with CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, developed communication toolkits to assist with communication about vaccines for various audiences.
These toolkits are available on the NIAM website – including 11 Things you can do during National Immunization Awareness Month. The toolkits contain images, graphics, facebook posts, and ideas for activities to promote and engage our patients and community members on the importance of vaccinations.
There is a wealth of information and resources we can utilize to promote immunizations throughout August and the remainder of the year. We listed a few below:
- General immunization information is available at: http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Prevention/Immunizations/index.html?redirect=/immunizations/
- Information about flu shots is available at: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/flu-shots.html
- Information about pneumococcal shots is available at: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/pneumococcal-shots.html
General Education and Background Resources
- National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) website: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niam.html
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccines and immunizations website: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/
- Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) website: http://www.immunize.org/
- Information about the 2015-2016 Flu Season: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/upcoming.htm
Together, we play an important role in helping to educate patients about immunization recommendations. Visit our Web site to learn more, get connected by joining the Learning and Action Network and access resources and tools; including our Immunization Toolkit for Providers.