Key Vaccination Messages and Tools from the CDC 

This resource from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide practical recommendations and information to help individuals lower their risk from a range of common respiratory viral illnesses, including COVID-19, flu, and RSV. As a healthcare provider, your patients depend on you as a trusted source of accurate health information and actionable guidance. During the fall and winter respiratory virus season, you can help patients, and their families stay safe and reduce the risk of severe disease by strongly recommending vaccination. 

1. The optimal time to immunize patients against respiratory viruses is now.  

  • Viral respiratory season has arrived. See how your state is being affected here. 

  • It is important to improve vaccination rates for some populations that have been hesitant to get a vaccination.  

2. The accordion provides a breakdown of questions patients may have, what providers can do to protect them, and some CDC tools for providers. 

  • What providers can do:

    • Assess the immunization status of all patients at each encounter. 

    • Make a strong recommendation, like “You are due for your flu and COVID-19 vaccines today. I’ve gotten these vaccines myself and recommend them for you too.” 

    CDC tools for Providers

  • What providers can do:

    • Send a message to your patients now via your patient portal or text message to remind them about the importance of getting vaccinated now.

    CDC Tools for Providers

  • What providers can do:

    • Give your patients accurate and up-to-date information about vaccine benefits and safety.

    CDC Tools for Providers

  • What providers can do:

    • Use motivational interviewing, starting with questions like “I hear you. If it’s okay with you, I would like to spend a few minutes talking more about fall and winter respiratory vaccines."

    CDC Tools for Providers

  • What providers can do:

    • Advise all employees to stay home if they are sick and stay up to date with their immunizations. 

    CDC Tool for Providers 

  • What providers can do:

    • Discuss the facts on co-administration and the most important thing—getting all recommended vaccines.

    CDC Tool for Providers

3. Use motivational interviewing when patients are hesitant or resistant to a strong recommendation:  

  • Be empathetic: Approach the conversation with compassion, show empathy, and be genuinely curious about the reasons why the patient feels the way they do.  

  • Ask permission: If a patient is resistant to your strong recommendation, ask to discuss vaccines further. 

  • Respect the patient’s decision if they say no and ask if they would be willing to talk about vaccines at their next visit. Use open-ended questions, affirm positive behaviors, reflect what you hear, and summarize the conversation: “What have you heard about these vaccines?” “How does that make you feel?” “On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to get an influenza vaccine?” Answer questions within the boundaries of your competence, ethics, and scope of practice. 

4. Pharmacists can advocate and administrate COVID-19 and influenza vaccines in accordance with CDC’s recommendations. Pharmacies often have longer hours, and many do not require appointments, offering another avenue for patients to get their annual vaccines. Pharmacists can use the SHARE model five-part approach to communicate the importance of vaccines. Learn more about talking points here.  

5. For patients at risk of severe respiratory disease, vaccination is particularly urgent. Be sure your patients are up to date with their immunizations. CDC’s immunization schedule by age can be found here. This resource is updated regularly. 

6. This flu vaccine appointment reminder template is a tool for clinical practices to remind patients, especially patients at higher risk of serious flu complications, to schedule an appointment for their flu vaccine. This template is customizable to best fit your practice and patient population.  

7. You can find other materials in our Preparing Your Patients for the Fall and Winter Virus Season healthcare provider toolkit.   

Other strategies to encourage patients to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses:  

  • Washing hands and improving airflow  where people live, and work is important to lowering the risk of respiratory viruses. 

  • Tests are available that can quickly detect these respiratory viruses, so patients don't delay treatment.