Public Health Resources & Toolkit

Pneumococcal Disease Public Health Resources

Pneumococcal disease is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. In the US, death rates in adults for invasive pneumococcal disease, which includes meningitis and sepsis, can be 20-30 percent or even higher. 85 percent of these cases occur in people age 18 years and older. Despite CDC vaccination recommendations to help protect adults most at risk, including those age 65 years and over and younger adults with certain chronic health conditions, vaccination rates remain low.

To help public health professionals raise awareness about adult pneumococcal disease and encourage adult immunization, NFID created a new toolkit that includes materials you can use to educate healthcare professionals and community members about the importance of pneumococcal prevention for adults most at-risk for the disease.

The following organizations provided insight and direction on resource development: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), Association of Immunization Managers (AIM), and National Adult Immunization Coordinators Partnership (NAICP) Executive Committee.

Understanding that resources available to promote adult immunization may be limited, the toolkit includes both ready-to-use materials and easy-to-customize templates. The resources can be downloaded, printed, and shared electronically.

For Healthcare Professional (HCP) Audiences:

• Pneumococcal Disease Fact Sheet for Immunizers provides an overview of facts about pneumococcal disease and prevention in adults for HCPs
• Adult Pneumococcal Vaccination Guide for HCPs provides an outline of pneumococcal vaccination recommendations to aid in screening adult patients and assessing their pneumococcal vaccination needs
• Adult Immunization Tracker and Schedule for use in patient charts; includes the latest CDC immunization schedule to quickly determine which vaccines patients need based on their age and health conditions    
• At-a-Glance Fact Sheets by Risk Condition: educates HCPs about the importance of vaccinating patients in the following risk categories: asthma, diabetes, heart, liver, lung, and kidney disease, HIV/AIDS, and smokers

For Public/Patient Audiences:

• Pneumococcal Fact Sheet: provides patients with an overview of the causes, symptoms, and prevention of pneumococcal disease
• At-a-Glance Fact Sheets for At-Risk Adults: educates adults with the following risk factors about the importance of pneumococcal vaccination: asthma, diabetes, heart, liver, lung, and kidney disease, HIV/AIDS, and smokers 
• Which Vaccines Do I Need? (Adult Vaccination Tracker and Guide): helps adults understand which vaccines they need and encourages them to speak with an HCP (Word version also available )
• Pneumococcal Disease Poster: for display in public health department offices, community venues, or HCP offices; encourages adults to ask HCPs about pneumococcal prevention

For Media Outreach/Communications:

• Media Outreach Basics: how-to guidance for staff without communications experience; includes basic direction for reaching out to print and online news outlets to encourage coverage about pneumococcal prevention
• Media Outreach Letter and Feature Article Template: provides media with information about pneumococcal prevention and a pre-written article they can print as is or customize for their publication
• Newsletter/Web Article Template: educates adults about pneumococcal disease and vaccination recommendations; includes a quote from NFID and a customizable quote from a staff member
• Seasonal Newsletter/Web Article Template: educates adults about pneumococcal disease and vaccination recommendations; includes a quote from NFID and a customizable quote from a staff member
• Radio Public Service Announcements (PSA): featuring real people telling their story about the consequences of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of adult vaccination

Additional ideas for educating or counseling healthcare professionals and community members about pneumococcal prevention:

• Collaborate with non-immunization colleagues by asking them to distribute pneumococcal prevention information at appropriate community events, including:
  • Blood pressure clinics
  • Asthma education events
  • Cholesterol screening
• Incorporate into community outreach programs on other topics, such as wellness and infectious disease