August 2, 2021 - Updated August 1, 2022
August is National Immunization Awareness Month
According to the CDC’s website NIAM Toolkit for Healthcare Professionals:
- Each year, thousands of American adults become ill and are hospitalized due to vaccine-preventable diseases.
- Some may die from these vaccine-preventable diseases as well.
- Many adults do not realize that they need vaccines and as a result, vaccinations remain low in the US.
- Those with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, have a greater risk of severe complications from vaccine-preventable diseases.
August has been designated as National Immunization Awareness Month. It recognizes importance of immunizations with disease control and prevention. Immunizations play a significant role in the overall health of your patients.
Some steps that health care providers can take include:
- Educating your patients on the importance of immunizations
- Assessing your patients’ vaccination status during medical visits and remedy as needed
- Encouraging your patients to schedule their immunizations
- Medicare covers flu vaccines annually. Medicare also covers pneumococcal and hepatitis B vaccines for those who qualify.
- Talk to your patients about importance of immunizations and encourage them to take advantage of these Medicare-covered preventive services.
To learn more about Medicare-covered services, visit CMS Preventive Services
For more information:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Immunization Awareness Month
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Toolkit for Healthcare Professionals (National Immunization Awareness Month)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Toolkit for Reaching Parents and Patients (National Immunization Awareness Month)
- NIAM Toolkit for Communicating with Healthcare Professionals | CDC
- National Immunization Awareness Month - Quality of Care (va.gov)
- CMS Medicare Preventive Services
- CMS Preventive Health Provider Resources
- Preventive & Screening Services (medicare.gov)
References:
- National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) | CDC. (2021, July 30). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niam/index.html
- NIAM Toolkit for Communicating with Healthcare Professionals | CDC. (2020, July 13). Key Messages. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niam/hcp/communication-toolkit.html
- Immunization Awareness Month - Quality of Care. (2019, July 23). Immunization Awareness Month. https://www.va.gov/QUALITYOFCARE/education/Immunization_Awareness_Month2018.asp