BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- New patient education resources, called “Kids Need Flu Vaccine, Too!,” are now available online for in-practice use by clinicians and other healthcare providers to help educate parents about influenza and the importance of annual influenza vaccination among infants and children. The new materials were developed by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
The new parental communications tools have been added to the previously developed NFID provider resource kit to include a brochure, fact sheet and poster, which are available to download in English and Spanish via NFID’s Web site ( http://www.nfid.org ). The kit has also been expanded for clinicians with an updated reimbursement tip sheet to ensure proper coding for vaccine and administration, as well as an additional pediatric influenza immunization program case study from a pediatric nurse practitioner’s perspective.
Kids Need Flu Vaccine, Too! is part of the NFID’s initiative to help health care providers improve pediatric influenza vaccination rates among high-risk children with chronic medical conditions, such as asthma or diabetes.
It also facilitates the implementation of recent recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), AAP and other leading organizations to vaccinate all infants and toddlers 6 through 23 months of age, as well as household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children between birth and 2 years.
“Last season, the first in which influenza vaccination was recommended for children 6 through 23 months of age, we achieved an unprecedented 48 percent immunization rate,” said William Schaffner, an NFID board member, and Professor and Chairman, Department of Preventive Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “Our goal is to continue to increase this rate in the years ahead. The new Kids Need Flu Vaccine, Too! in-practice resources will help pediatricians and other clinicians implement influenza immunization clinics and educate parents about the importance of immunizing children.”
Studies show influenza-associated illness in children younger than 24 months of age leads to hospitalization rates similar to those among persons 65 years of age and older. Despite long-standing recommendations to provide influenza vaccine to all children with underlying medical conditions, vaccination rates of children with high-risk conditions remain low with as few as 10 to 31 percent being immunized each year.
Influenza and pneumonia are among the top ten leading causes of death for children ages 1 to 4 years. The disease also puts children at significant risk for hospitalizations due to pneumonia, fever, seizures and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). In addition, influenza increases the risk of a child developing otitis media, croup and sepsis.
NFID Initiative to Improve Pediatric Immunization Rates
In 2003, NFID launched a national initiative to help pediatricians and family physicians develop in-practice immunization programs and prepare for the expansion of CDC’s pediatric influenza vaccination recommendations.
NFID issued a report, Increasing Influenza Immunization Rates in Infants and Children: Putting Recommendations Into Practice, which details strategies to help pediatric and family medicine practices set up successful influenza vaccination programs.
Those strategies form the centerpiece of a national NFID campaign to improve pediatric immunization rates in private practice, managed care and public health settings.
The Kids Need Flu Vaccine, Too! online resource toolkit is a product of this important initiative. The online program provides multifaceted approaches clinicians can use to increase pediatric influenza vaccination rates and prepare for the influenza season. In addition to education materials, the program also offers tips on educating parents about the severity of influenza and presents practice models clinicians can use when developing pediatric influenza clinics for their practices. Additional program elements include:
- Comprehensive checklist on how to plan and implement in-practice clinics - Physician-to-physician video featuring Dr. Jon Abramson, a practicing physician and a leading infectious disease expert - Patient video and other patient materials underscoring the importance of influenza vaccination - Tips to ensure proper reimbursement - Case studies on effective pediatric immunization programs - Sample articles for practice newsletters and tips on communicating the importance of vaccination to parents
The goals of the program are supported by the AAP and the National Influenza Vaccine Summit. The Summit is co-sponsored by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the CDC, and is comprised of organizations representing physicians, public health, nurses, pharmacists, managed care and community providers.
About National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
Founded in 1973, NFID is a non-profit organization dedicated to public and professional educational programs about, and in support of, research into causes, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. The pediatric influenza immunization initiative is made possible through an unrestricted educational grant to NFID from sanofi pasteur.
The Kids Need Flu Vaccine, Too! online program was recently updated and is available on the NFID Web site at http://www.nfid.org for viewing and downloading of materials and videos.
CONTACT: Jennifer Corrigan 732-382-8898 Heather Carman 212-886-2200
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
CONTACT: Jennifer Corrigan, +1-732-382-8898, Heather Carman,+1-212-886-2200, both for National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
Web site: http://www.nfid.org/
