Uptake strategies

Prevention is the Best Medicine: Making the Flu Vaccine a Part of COVID-19 Precautions this Fall

Over the past six months, people have taken precautions to protect both themselves and their communities from the spread of COVID-19. Now, the upcoming flu season presents another opportunity for Americans to help keep each other healthy. Explore what effect the flu season may have when overlapping the pandemic and how providers can encourage patients to receive the flu vaccine as a preventative measure this fall.

Promoting Health Through Vaccine Uptake During the COVID-19 Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all facets of the healthcare system, including providers and their patients. Some providers chose to close offices completely, while others rescheduled well-visits to future dates. Now as providers begin to re-welcome patients into their practice, there is an opportunity for providers to ensure that patients have received the vaccines they need.

Early Childhood Vaccines: The Foundation for Lifelong Disease Prevention

The first 15 months of a child’s life are an important time within the vaccination schedule as an opportunity to establish initial protection against diseases like polio and hepatitis B. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children be vaccinated against 14 illnesses during the first two years of their life. Pediatricians and family physicians can play a major role in an infant’s immunity by engaging parents in ongoing discussions about what vaccines their child needs and when.

Workplace Flu Clinics: Encouraging Seasonal Health to Support Year-round Employee Wellness

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that American workers miss approximately 17 million workdays due to the flu each year, costing employers $7 billion in sick days and lost productivity. One way employers can create a healthier workplace is by hosting on-site influenza vaccination clinics in the office.

Vaccine Recordkeeping: A Team Approach for a Healthier Tomorrow

Keeping vaccine records up to date is key to a patient’s lifelong immunity and health. Official childhood vaccination records have been adopted by every state and territory to encourage uniformity, but limited interoperability in healthcare can make recordkeeping a challenge. As a result, responsibility falls on both the patients and providers for managing records throughout the patient’s life.

Vaccines for All: Reaching and Serving Rural Americans

More than 60 million Americans live in rural areas. Rural residents receive less or inferior healthcare compared to those in other parts of the U.S., including medical check-ups and the opportunity for recommended vaccinations. The National Rural Health Association reports that provider shortages in rural areas are obstacles to regular primary care, and for children in rural areas, limited access to healthcare can also affect immunization.

The Power of Provider Recommendations

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has published guidelines on recommended immunization schedules by age group, but for many Americans, additional information from a provider can help deepen understanding. Through established patient-provider relationships and medical knowledge, clinicians are in a unique position to educate patients about health decisions, including vaccinations, and research shows that patients value the advice. 

Delivering Vaccines to Vulnerable Populations 

Vulnerable populations—children, seniors and homeless—are at higher risk of contracting many preventable diseases. With immunity developing, declining, or at risk, these groups are more likely to suffer from illnesses that can be prevented with vaccines. Health providers and vaccine advocates can help protect vulnerable populations by promoting vaccines to all populations and delivering vaccines to those who need it most.

Vaccinating for Two: Increasing Maternal Vaccine Uptake

During pregnancy, there are many preparations that expectant mothers may make before welcoming a newborn: purchasing a stroller, preparing a nursery, buying clothes, diapers, wipes and many other items. Another way expectant mothers can prepare, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is vaccinating themselves against diseases, namely influenza and pertussis.  

It’s Never Too Late: Post-exposure Vaccination in Outbreaks of Disease

In the past few months, San Diego has seen a spike in the number of hepatitis A cases; the San Diego County Board of Supervisors puts the latest count at 516 cases, including 357 hospitalizations and 19 deaths. Vaccines, in fulfilling their original purpose, are preventative health tools meant to impede the potential for outbreaks of disease. Yet, outbreaks do occasionally occur and expose a large number of uninfected individuals who may not be immunized against diseases that are normally vaccine-preventable.