Education & Training:
Patient Education
On this site you will find a variety of educational information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent. For each vaccine, you can access information about who should receive the vaccine, when it should be administered, and what patients or parents should know about it. Immunization providers can also find more general information on vaccine administration as well as tips on how to talk to your patients about vaccines and address their concerns.
The information is in various printed formats—flyers, booklets, fact sheets, posters—and includes links to other useful websites. CDC materials are not copyrighted and can be downloaded, copied, and distributed to patients. Many items can be ordered through an online ordering system.
Immunization educational materials are intended to complement personal education and advice from the healthcare provider. Informed patients, working together with their healthcare providers, are the key players in keeping themselves and their children healthy and protecting the health of the public.
On This Page:
Materials That Can be Used to Educate Patients
Materials Providers can download and distribute (flyers, brochures, VISs). Other sources of materials, both commercial and free, and how to order them in bulk.
- Vaccine Information Statements (VIS)
- Common questons parents ask about infant immunizations
- Parents: Be There for Your Child During Shots (exit)
(first page in English and second page in Spanish)
IAC version (.html) (.pdf), etc. (exit) - Parents: Comforting Restraint for Immunizations
(first page in English and second page in Spanish) - Immunization Action Coalition (free print materials)
- for your patients (exit)
- clinical staff materials (exit)
- unprotected people (exit)
(stories of those who suffered or died from VPDs)
- Most publications on the CDC Vaccines & Immunizations site - sorted by type
- Parent's Guide to Childhood Immunization
- Flu - patient education materials (flyers, posters, buttons...)
- Adult Pneumococcal patient education (brochure, card...)
(available in English and Spanish)
Links to Resources/Websites Providers Can Refer Patients to for Their Own Use
- “How to evaluate materials on the web” guidelines, that could be given to every patient referred to the web.
- By vaccine - materials for patients
- Materials from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Vaccine Education Center (exit)
Complete, up-to-date and reliable information about vaccines for parents and healthcare professionals. Also available: videos, info tear sheets, and info on every vaccine.
Answers to Patients' Frequently Asked Questions
- Talking to Parents who Question Vaccines
-Concerns about Unimmunized Children in My Practice
-Effective Communication
-Child Care and School Requirements- Parents Who Question Vaccines flyer
- Presentation (exit)
- Responding to Concerns about Vaccines (exit)
Immunization Action Coalition
- Some Common Misconceptions
- NIPINFO Answers Providers Questions
Questions submitted during immunization satellite broadcasts or through NIPINFO - "Ask the Experts" Questions and Answers
"Ask the Experts" questions and answers excerpted & updated from past issues of Needle Tips and the Hepatitis B Coalition News, Vaccinate Adults, and Vaccinate Women of the IAC and reviewed by the CDC. - Providers Resource Kit: Communicating with Patients about Immunization (exit)
-Pediatric Visit-Specific Info
-Childhood and Adult Vaccine-Specific Info
-Common Questions (e.g., vaccine effectiveness)
Printable Flyers That Answer Patients' Questions
For Parents of Infants and Toddlers
- Common Questions Parents Ask about Infant Immunization
- Vaccine Safety for Parents
- The Flu—A Guide for Parents
For Parents of Pre-teens and Adolescents
- Q&As About Pre-teen Vaccines
- Information for Parents about Pre-teen Vaccines
- Q&As for Parents of Pre-teens about HPV & the HPV Vaccine
- Q&As about HPV Vaccine Safety (Note: This is not a flyer)
- The Flu—A Guide for Parents
For College Students and Young Adults
For Adults
- Immunization For Adults—Which Vaccines Should Adults Receive?
- Immunization for Older Adults
- The Shingles Vaccine
- Q&As about Influenza and the Injectable Influenza Vaccine
For Pregnant Women
For Travelers
For Spanish Speakers (Parents and Patients)
- Common Questions Parents Ask about Infant Immunization
- Q&As about Influenza and the Injectable Influenza Vaccine
- Q&As for Parents of Pre-teens about Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and the HPV Vaccine
- Questions and Answers for Parents about Pre-teen Vaccines
- Information for Parents about the Pre-teen Check up
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Non-CDC Link Disclaimer: Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization web pages found at these links.
.pdf files: To view and print the .pdf files on this site, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. Use this link to obtain a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader (exit). We highly recommend that you upgrade to the latest version if haven't already.
Content last reviewed on May 11, 2007
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases