August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). This annual observance highlights the efforts of healthcare professionals to protect patients of all ages against vaccine-preventable diseases through on-time vaccination.
It is critical to ensure that routine vaccinations are maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect individuals and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases. Routine vaccinations prevent illnesses that lead to additional medical visits, hospitalizations, and further strain on the healthcare system. This year, CDC is calling on its partners to amplify this important message when communicating with parents, pregnant women, healthcare professionals, and other adults.
CDC’s NIAM web page includes two toolkits, one for reaching healthcare professionals and the other for reaching parents and patients. Each includes key messages, sample social media content, and educational resources. CDC is encouraging its partners to share these messages and resources throughout the month of August using the hashtag #ivax2protect.
CDC will host an Instagram Q&A event for parents on August 24 from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET to answer questions about the importance of maintaining routine immunization during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents can tune in and participate on CDC’s Instagram feed.
Related Links
- CDC Toolkit for Reaching Healthcare Professionals gateway page
- CDC Toolkit for Reaching Parents and Patients gateway page
- NIAM website