The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases’ Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition recently released two PowerPoint presentations that can be customized for use in various settings. Created as part of the coalition’s HCP InFLUencer Program, one of the presentations is geared toward parents, caregivers and the public; the other presentation targets health care professionals.

The consumer-oriented version reviews basic influenza signs and symptoms parents should watch out for and reminds them that even healthy children, if not immunized, can suffer serious health consequences — even death — from seasonal influenza. And although the presentation confirms frequent hand-washing as a useful preventive strategy, it notes that hand-washing is not enough to ward off an airborne illness, such as the flu. The presentation also includes specific recommendations on who should be vaccinated, as well as information about the two types of vaccine.

The presentation for health care professionals offers similar information, along with specific dosage instructions for children based on whether they have or have not previously received the vaccine. It gives tips for starting an “influenza dialogue” with parents and allaying any fears they express about immunization, and it highlights the importance of reaching out to diverse patient populations. Included in the presentation is a poster clinicians can print, sign and display to demonstrate their commitment to preventing influenza through immunization.