Each year in August, National Immunization Awareness Month provides an opportunity for providers to highlight the value of immunization across all ages. Activities focus on encouraging people to protect their health by being vaccinated against infectious diseases.

The National Public Health Information Coalition has developed, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Immunization Awareness Month Communication Toolkits to help providers communicate with their patients about the importance of vaccination.

Toolkits are available for four separate age spans:

• Preteens and Teens
• Pregnant Women
• Adults
• Infants and Children

There is also an abbreviated “Ready for school” toolkit to help you communicate about the importance of vaccines for schoolchildren of all ages.

The toolkits include key messages, vaccine information, sample news releases and articles, social media messages, and other resources. There are also logos, web banners, posters and graphics to use with social media.

The CDC has also developed immunization materials that providers can use in local outreach and education year-round, that will:

• Encourage parents of young children to get recommended immunizations by age 2; reach out with posters, video PSAs, tweets, Facebook posts and more.
• Help parents make sure older children, preteens and teens have received all recommended vaccines by the time they go back to school; share information geared toward parents of 9-18-year-olds.
• Remind college students to catch up on immunizations before they move into dormitories.
• Educate adults, including health care workers, about vaccines and boosters they may need.
• Educate pregnant women about getting vaccinated to protect newborns from diseases like whooping cough (pertussis).
• Remind everyone that the next flu season is only a few months away.

For more information on National Immunization Awareness Month, visit www.nphic.org/niam.