Changing the Conversation on Adult Influenza Vaccination: United States

US campaign is the good example of how to extensively promote influenza vaccination without the basis of universal influenza vaccination program.  Although annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all people aged 6 months and over, the influenza vaccine is covered by private health insurance plans and the government-funded program is only eligible for adults aged 65 years and over (Medicare Part B). 

CDC is leading the national influenza awareness campaign and has developed a great deal of communication resources including web assets, factsheets, infographics, posters, videos, podcasts, social media toolkits, news releases and so on.  All materials are downloadable, shareable, and some of them are customizable to assist partners in spreading the messages to promote the awareness of influenza vaccination.

Although there has been an emphasis on universal communication for all people aged 6 months and older, CDC is still committed to reaching high-risk people influenza, including older people and adults with chronic disease, by creating targeted informative and education materials. 

As a complementary part of government campaign, a lot of patients organizations and advocacy groups are rolling out targeted campaigns and sharing tailored messages to inform their members and constitutes about the seriousness of influenza and the importance of vaccination.