August is National Immunization Awareness Month

Now that August has come around the corner it is time to bring your immunization schedules out of the filing cabinet. August is National Immunization Awareness Month and this month is time to remind coworkers, friends and especially family to stay up to day on their immunization shots. It is also a great time for promoting vaccines.  This month is a good month to raise the rate of immunization in the community by sharing strategies and raising vaccination awareness.  Here are a few strategies you can use for August.

As with every month of August each year, opportunities are provided by NIAM or the National Immunization Awareness Month to highlight immunization values across each individual’s span of life. The focus of every activity is to encourage every person to keep their health protected by getting a vaccine against diseases that can be infectious. This year 2015, the activities of National Immunization Awareness Month are being coordinated by the NPHIC or the National Public Health Information Coalition. This collaboration is done for the purpose of helping share the significance of getting vaccinated regardless of what stage of life you happen to be in. This includes a lifespan stage of infants and children, adults, pregnant women, preteens and teens.

Invite Speakers

Invite nurses or doctors to speak to parents about the importance of every kid getting vaccinated at a venue that is convenient for everyone. Talk to a school in your community to ask about holding this event in that location.

Encourage the Community

In your community, encourage people to get vaccinated for the flu every year. When you meet parents as you pick up the kids at school or even at church, go ahead and start a conversation. Kids by the age of two years old are recommended for immunization. In addition, making sure that teens, preteens and kids get all the vaccines they recommend by the time school month comes around the corner. Before students in college move out to their dorms, it is a good idea to make sure they get immunized. Educating healthcare workers and adults about boosters and vaccines that they possibly need as well as women who are pregnant to protect their newborns from pertussis or whooping cough is also recommended.

Not Just for Kids

Contrary to popular belief, vaccinations are not just for children. Talk to family members and friends to remind them that individuals at any age are able to get shots in order to help keep them protected from potentially more serious diseases.

More Ideas

Aside from the ideas mentioned here, you can also promote information on your social network profile, your blog or on your website. Host events in the community in which there can be family gatherings to learn about immune shots. Tweeting about the month of August being the one in which more awareness needs to be made about national immunization month is another step you can take. If you are part of a community newsletter, why not add some additional information about shots for immunity as well?