December 2, 2009
Mini-Poster To Help Educate Medicare Beneficiaries About Flu Vaccines
CMS would appreciate your help communicating with the public, especially seniors and vulnerable populations, that Medicare and Medicaid cover both the seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines. Seniors are encouraged to get their seasonal flu vaccine as soon as possible. The vaccine that protects against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus (sometimes called swine flu) is a separate vaccine and is available now. The first available doses of this vaccine should be given to those at highest risk of infection and complications such as children, pregnant women, health care workers and younger adults with certain medical conditions. There is some evidence that people 65 and older are less likely than younger people to be infected with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.
Please share this bilingual mini-poster with your colleagues and encourage them to post it in places where Medicare patients will see and understand the need for their seasonal flu shot and that they can get the H1N1 vaccine once the high risk groups are vaccinated.
We encourage Medicare practitioners to refer patients to www.flu.gov if they need more information about the seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines. Information for practitioners, mass immunizers and others who want to bill Medicare for the flu vaccines can be obtained at www.cms.hhs.gov/adultimmunizations. The Immunizers Q & A Guide in the download section also includes a list of regional CMS contacts on page 55 that would be helpful if you want to organize a large scale immunization clinic for seniors. CMS would also very much appreciate any feedback you can give us as to the use of this poster (e.g., did your colleagues post it in their offices, was it posted in senior centers, etc.). As always, thank you for your help in getting this important message to our Medicare beneficiaries.
