National Infant Immunization Week
By Perdita Henry
April 22-29 is National Infant Immunization Week and the Department of State Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer several different ways to help you keep your patients’ parents informed.
The DSHS’s National Infant Immunization Week website features articles and offers printable, bilingual, materials such as the “Protect Two from the Flu” brochure, the “Pertussis Cocooning” brochure, and the “Hepatitis B Vaccine Can Save Your Baby’s Life” poster to assist you in educating your patients about the benefits of immunizations and how they keep those most at risk safe.
DSHS also features articles on low-cost immunizations for uninsured children, how ImmTrac can be used by child-care facilities to verify immunizations, and why keeping children healthy is a family affair. Additionally, if you’re holding a community immunization education event DSHS is interested in helping you get the word out and featuring it on their website. Contact the Coalition Coordinator to learn how your event can be featured.
The CDC offers customizable sample content that you can share in newsletters, blogs, or other professional publications. They also have a pretty catchy Spanish ballad developed by the US-Mexico Border Health Commission, Twitter and Facebook-ready messages, and short bilingual educational videos all ready to share with your patients via social media.
Between DSHS and the CDC, you’re sure to find the right balance of information to share with your patients during National Infant Immunization Week and beyond.