CDC’s National Flu Vaccination Week ends with a clear message: There is still time to get your flu shot!
CDC’s National Flu Vaccination Week ends with a clear message: There is still time to get your flu shot!
With this message, the CDC wrapped up National Influenza Vaccination Week. A campaign that seeks to increase citizen participation and Flu vaccination coverage this winter season
From December 5 to 9, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) observed National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW-USA). This national awareness week sought to highlight the importance of influenza vaccination and remind people that there is still time to get a flu vaccine.
The CDC’s NIVW campaign included a digital media toolkit which provided a suite of resources such as hashtags, photo frames and shareable and printable material to promote the public’s participation. This communication strategy seeks to engage the public and healthcare community with the campaign so they can encourage others to protect their loved ones and themselves by getting a flu vaccine.
It is expected that the campaign helps to improve Flu vaccination coverage this season and reverse the previous numbers where the coverage during the 2021–22 season was lower than coverage during the 2020–21 season for both children and adults in the United States.
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a yearly flu vaccine, specially because flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 could be spreading simultaneously. Flu vaccination can help prevent or reduce the severity of flu illness. Children, especially those under the age of five, anyone with a weakened immune system or underlying medical conditions such as asthma or lung problems, heart disease, pregnant people, and people over the age of 65 are most vulnerable to severe illness or complications from influenza, such as pneumonia and respiratory failure.
It’s critical that children get a flu shot this fall and winter; many have not been exposed to respiratory illness after two years of low influenza rates due to COVID-19 public health prevention measures implemented around the world, putting them at increased risk of severe illness. It is important to note that Flu vaccines will not protect against COVID-19 but have been shown to reduce the risk of flu illness, hospitalization, and death, thus, can help reduce the burden on the healthcare system and conserve potentially scarce healthcare resources during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
To learn more about National Influenza Vaccination Week in the United States, visit the official page of the CDC through the following link: