Focus on Immunizations

AAFP

The AAFP’s national public service announcement campaign (PSA) continues in August with a segment on shingles. Watch the PSA about the shingles vaccine. Each PSA educates the audience about an issue and urges them to visit familydoctor.org for more information. Please help educate your patients by referring them to the familydoctor.org website.

Below is the schedule of monthly PSAs:

• May – Mental and Emotional Health (bullying; launched)
• July – Back to School (flu and the importance of personal hygiene; launched)
• Aug – Immunizations (shingles for adults starting at 50 years of age; launched August 1)
• Sept – Sports/Exercise at Every Age (concussions)
• Oct – Family Health and Safety (gun safety)
• Nov – Addiction and Recovery (opioid abuse and safe pill storage)

Ultimately, it is important that patients, after viewing the PSAs, will gain a sense of empowerment over their own health. Increasing patients’ knowledge of important health issues that affect them is intended to help them feel more prepared and willing to talk about them with their family physician.