Download National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Statement in support of

National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Statement
in support of
National Influenza Vaccination Week/Families Vaccination Day
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) supports the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) annual observance of National Influenza
Vaccination Week to communicate the importance and availability of influenza
vaccination into the winter months and beyond. It is critical that physicians and patients,
especially parents of pediatric patients, remain vigilant about flu protection this and
every year. NFID joins CDC in encouraging families to seek vaccination this week and
urges all health care professionals, especially pediatricians and family physicians, to
reinforce the importance of influenza vaccination with their patients.
To call attention to the importance of influenza vaccination for children, who bear a large
disease burden, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases established the
Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition, a group of more than 30 leading medical,
public health and parent organizations. These organizations individually are committed
to protecting children’s health and encouraging sustained wellness, and together with
“one strong voice,” seek to address and improve low influenza immunization rates
among children.
CDC recommends universal influenza vaccination for everyone over the age of 6
months. Children under the age of 5 are at an increased risk of complications from
influenza that can lead to hospitalization and even death. Older, school-aged children
can also get very sick and miss school and extracurricular activities – and make it
difficult for working parents to meet their obligations. Children are very efficient at
spreading the disease – to each other, to family, friends and close contacts.
Dr. Carol Baker, past president of NFID and chair of the Childhood Influenza
Immunization Coalition notes, “The most effective way to protect your children against
influenza is annual vaccination. Influenza season doesn’t usually peak until January or
later, so if you or your children haven’t been vaccinated yet, do so now.”
Members of the Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition:
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Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA)
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)
American College of Cardiology (ACC)
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
American Lung Association
American Medical Association (AMA)
American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
American Public Health Association (APHA)
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
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Canyon Ranch Institute
Center for Vaccine Awareness and Research at the Texas Children’s Hospital
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Every Child By Two (ECBT)
Families Fighting Flu, Inc.
Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA)
Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF)
Immunization Action Coalition (IAC)
Kaiser Permanente-Northern California
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP)
National Association of School Nurses (NASN)
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID)
National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA)
National Medical Association (NMA)
Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases (PKIDs)
Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM)
Vaccine Education Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) was established by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention to highlight the importance of continuing influenza
vaccination at this time of year, and encourage greater use of flu vaccine even after the
holiday season. The 2010-2011 season’s NIVW is scheduled for December 5–11, 2010,
and Monday, Dec. 6th is Families Vaccination Day.
Contact Jennifer Corrigan at 732-382-8898 or [email protected] to arrange
telephone interviews with NFID and/or its Coalition representatives. Additional
information, including brief videos featuring experts, can be found at
www.preventchildhoodinfluenza.org.
About NFID
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) is a non-profit, tax-exempt
(501c3) organization founded in 1973 and dedicated to educating the public and health
care professionals about the causes, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases.
NFID established the Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition (CIIC) in 2007 to help
increase awareness and education about pediatric influenza and benefits of
immunization. Coalition members include more than 30 of the nation's leading public
health, medical, patient and parent groups. The Coalition is made possible through an
unrestricted educational grant to NFID from sanofi pasteur.
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