The end of the summer brings many things – schools are back in session, the air is crisp…and flu season is right around the corner. While most people who get sick with influenza will have mild symptoms, some people will get very sick. Older adults, young children, pregnant women, and people with certain chronic medical conditions, are more likely to develop serious flu complications that can result in hospitalization and sometimes even death. Preliminary statistics indicate that from October 2018 to May 2019, there were between 17.3 to 20.1 million cases of flu-related medical visits. During that same period, there were 531,000 – 647,000 flu-related hospitalizations and 36,400 – 61,200 flu-related deaths. Influenza vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations. This year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is releasing two educational segments about flu vaccination with PlatformQ Health: one designed specifically for health care professionals (HCPs) and the other for members of the public. Both programs will be live broadcast from CDC headquarters in Atlanta, and feature CDC experts as speakers.
Flu Education and a Seasonal Update for Clinicians
On Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at 3pm EST, clinicians are invited to join CDC and PlatformQ Health for a 30-minute live flu update on IDCareLive.com. Lisa Grohskopf, MD, MPH from CDC’s Influenza Division will share information about the types of influenza vaccines available during the upcoming 2019-2020 flu season, including how patient characteristics can impact vaccine selection, timing, and dosing.
Clinicians will have the opportunity to submit questions to CDC and Dr. Grohskopf through the pre-program “QBoard” prior to the broadcast, or thought the live Q&A feature while watching the live session.
After the live session has ended, the program will be available on-demand through the end of the flu season. After watching this session, clinicians will be able to:
- Summarize the different types of influenza vaccines available during the 2019-2020 flu season
- Understand and effectively implement influenza vaccine recommendations for the upcoming season, including guidance for specific populations
Interactive Flu Education for the Public
A second program, designed for members of the public, will premiere during National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) during the first week of December. This second program will allow members of the public to engage directly with CDC subject matter experts. A CDC speaker will provide an update the 2019-2020 flu season, explain the benefits of flu vaccination, and more.
As with the health care professional program, members of the public will be able to submit questions directly to a CDC representative before and during the live broadcast and receive answers in real time. The program will stream live online and be available for viewing on-demand to follow.
Just prior to the holiday season, this program will educate the public on the benefits of receiving a flu vaccine – special attention will be given to high-risk populations such as young children, older adults, people who are immunocompromised, and people with other pre-existing conditions that make them more susceptible to serious flu complications.
These programs are jointly produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and PlatformQ Health/IDCareLive.
For more information about this and other educational programs, contact Lauren Alford at lalford@platformq.com.