August is National Immunization Awareness Month

National Immunization Awareness Month is the perfect time to promote immunizations and remind family, friends, and coworkers to get caught up on their shots.)

Immunizations (or vaccinations) aren’t just for babies and young kids. We all need shotsto help protect us from serious diseases and illness.

• Children under age 6 get a series of shots to protect against measles, polio,chicken pox, and hepatitis.

All 11- and 12-year-olds need shots to help protect against tetanus, diphtheria,whooping cough, and meningitis.

• Doctors recommend girls also get the HPV vaccine to protect against the mostcommon cause of cervical cancer.Adults:• All adults need a tetanus shot every 10 years.

• Adults age 50 and older need a flu shot every year.

• People age 65 need a one-time pneumonia shot.

• Talk to your doctor or nurse about which shots you and your family need.Get the Word Out

Great places to start

• Vaccines and Immunizations (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Immunization (Medlineplus)

• Patient information: Why does my child need vaccines? (UpToDate)

Immunization Reference Information Links

• What is the History of Vaccines? from the College Physicians of Philadelphia
• What Diseases Can Be Prevented by Vaccines? from the Immunization Action Coalition
• Where Can I Find Immunization Records? information from the CDC
• What Does Whooping Cough sound like?
• Ask the Experts at the CDC
• Parents Guide to Childhood Immunizations from the CDC
• Plain Talk About Childhood Immunizations from the Washington State Department of Health. Links to both English and Spanish PDFs

Easy Immunization Recordkeeping and Other Printables for Adults:

• Vaccination Administration Record for Children and Teens from the CDC (updated March 2011)
• Vaccination Administration Record for Adults from Immunization Action Coalition (updated March 2011)
• 2011 Recommended Vaccinations for Children from Birth through Six Years, from the CDC, parent version (updated March 2011)
• When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations? from the CDC (updated March 2011)
• When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations? from the CDC in in Spanish (updated January 2010)
• What Vaccinations do Adults Need? from the Immunization Action Coalition (updated December 2010)

Especially for children

(More at http://blog.gale.com/thepulse/library-programming/librarians-plan-ahead-for-august-national-immunization-awareness-month-2/, scroll down)

Coloring Pages:

• Getting a Shot: You Can Do It!coloring page from PBS Kids
• It Might Hurt a Little Bit, But It’s Going to Help a Whole Lot! coloring page from PBS Kids
• Salk Polio Vaccine coloring page
• Prevention Connection coloring page from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control

Puzzles and Activities for Children:

• Be Wise – Immunize! activity book – includes “connect the chicken pox”! from the North Dakota Department of Health
• Freddie Fox Gets His Chicken Pox Shots activity book

Bookmarks and Other Printables for Children:

• Getting a Shot: You Did It! certificate from PBS Kids
• Your Zoo Friends All Chime, Get Immunized on Time! full color – from Vaccinate Your Baby
• Flu Myths and Facts bookmark – full color

Pass it on

Share a video

• A World Without Vaccines
• Consequences
• Supermovie

            Send an e-card

• August is National Immunization Month
• • CDC:  Flu Prevention-Active Seniors 
• • CDC:  Flu Prevention-Families 

Additional Resources

• Social Media Healthcare (blog), especially their postings – Taking a Shot at Immunizations (currently parts 1-4)
• Librarians Plan Ahead for August: National Immunizaion Awareness Month
• August – National Immunization Awareness Month (healthfinder.org)

Related articles

• Frequently Asked Questions: Immunizing Your Child (education.com)
• UPDATES FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS ON INFLUENZA (FLU)The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a final rule on influenza vaccinations for healthcare personnel.  See pages 591-98 in the following link: http://www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2011-19719_PI.pdf.  On a related note, Partnership for Prevention has released a new report, Give Productivity a Shot in the Arm:  How Influenza Immunization Can Enhance Your Bottom Line, “highlights how worksite vaccination programs can improve employee health, increase productivity, and boost national vaccination rates.”  http://www.prevent.org/flu/.
• New vaccine could protect against chikungunya virus for life (news.bioscholar.com)
• NIAM – Shots for the College Bound  (IChooseBlog)