Make a Strong Flu Vaccine Recommendation
exclamation square light icon What You Need to Know for the 2020-2021 Flu Season
It’s likely that flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 will both be spreading this fall and winter, making it more important than ever that ALL healthcare workers get a flu vaccine!
As a health care professional, your strong recommendation is a critical factor that affects whether your patients get an influenza vaccine. Most adults believe vaccines are important, but they need a reminder from you to get vaccinated. Follow up with each patient during subsequent appointments to ensure the patient received an influenza vaccine. If the patient still is unvaccinated, repeat the recommendation to try to identify and address any questions or concerns.
Making a Strong Flu Vaccine Recommendation (SHARE)
It is necessary for all patients to receive a strong recommendation from their provider. CDC suggests using the SHARE method to make a strong vaccine recommendation and provide important information to help patients make informed decisions about vaccinations:
SHARE the reasons why the influenza vaccine is right for the patient given his or her age, health status, lifestyle, occupation, or other risk factors.
HIGHLIGHT positive experiences with influenza vaccines (personal or in your practice), as appropriate, to reinforce the benefits and strengthen confidence in influenza vaccination.
ADDRESS patient questions and any concerns about the influenza vaccine, including side effects, safety, and vaccine effectiveness in plain and understandable language.
REMIND patients that influenza vaccines protect them and their loved ones from serious influenza illness and influenza-related complications.
EXPLAIN the potential costs of getting influenza, including serious health effects, time lost (such as missing work or family obligations), and financial costs.
- Most flu shots are quadrivalent (4-component). There are many different flu shots with age varying age indications, but flu shots are available for people 6 months & older
- Designed to protect against four different flu viruses; two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses.
- There is one flu shot that is still available in a trivalent (3-component) formulation and that is the trivalent adjuvanted flu shot approved for people 65 and older.
- Recommended for non-pregnant individuals, 2 years through 49 years old
- Nasal spray contains four flu viruses: an influenza A (H1N1) virus, an influenza A (H3N2) virus and two influenza B viruses
- Recommended for adults 18 years and older
- Produced using a method that does not require an egg-grown virus.
- Recommended for adults 65 years and older
- Designed to deliver a stronger immune response
- Recommended for adults 65 years and older
- Designed to deliver a stronger immune response
- Produced with flu viruses grown in cultured cells of mammalian origin instead of in hens’ eggs, developed as an alternative to the egg-based manufacturing process.
Featured Video
In this video from the #HowIRecommend series, Dr. Tolu Adebanjo, MD, explains how she talks to parents about flu vaccine.
For more information about available influenza vaccines and vaccine supply for the 2020-2021 season, visit Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Supply and Distribution.
- ACIP Recommendations
- Vaccination Guidance During a Pandemic
- Maintaining Childhood Immunizations and Well-Child Care During COVID-19 Pandemic
- Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Resources for Health Professionals
- Free Patient Resources
- Frequently Asked Flu Questions 2020-2021
- Inactivated Flu Vaccine: Vaccination Information Statement (VIS)
- Live, Intranasal Flu Vaccine: Vaccination Information Statement (VIS)
