Tips for Using the Immunization Discussion Guides

Promote efficient, productive conversations and explain what’s behind each vaccine recommendation with the Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Discussion Guides. The childhood guides focus on vaccines recommended from birth to age 6 years. The adolescent guides focus on preteens and teens age 9 through 18 years old. Both resources help you pair helpful speaking points with family-friendly infographics.

Here’s what pediatricians should know about using the Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Discussion Guides in your practice.

Why use these resources?

• To promote efficient, productive conversations with parents, while giving a strong recommendation for childhood and adolescent vaccines.
• Information is backed by guidance developed by immunization experts and is consistent with recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
• It includes speaking points for pediatricians and other primary care providers on all routinely recommended vaccines, as well as engaging infographics that display the information in a family-friendly way.

A guide to the content

• There is an overview available of all recommended immunizations for children from birth to age 6 years and for adolescents ages 9-18 years of age.
• Each resource includes an immunization schedule at-a-glance for providers and for families. We suggest starting there for most visits.
  • Tip: If the child or adolescent is receiving several vaccines, stick to the above-mentioned schedule and overview pages, unless parents have specific questions.
• Vaccine-specific content includes talking points for providers and age-appropriate infographics for families outlining dosing schedules, side effects and facts about vaccine-preventable illnesses.
• A page of frequently asked questions provides quick answers on many common concerns.

The guides help support your conversations with:

• Families of infants and young children;
• Families of adolescents and teens;
• Families who accept vaccines;
• Families who hesitate to vaccinate; and
• Families who are in for:
  • well visits,
  • sick visits and due for vaccines,
  • flu vaccine or vaccine-only appointments

How should I use the digital discussion guides?

There are many ways you can use the discussion guides. Following are some suggestions. Consider trying several until you find the best fit for you!

• Save the discussion guides on your tablet and show the family the pages you think are most important/relevant.
• Print out and hang the infographic pages in the exam room or waiting room so parents can look at the information before your visit. Keep the physician pages on your tablet for reference during the conversation.
• Print out and laminate the pages and place them on a desk/table. Wipe down the pages after each visit.
• Email relevant pages to a family to address questions before or after their visit.
• Share relevant information/infographics from the discussion guides on your social media platforms.
• Display relevant infographics on a monitor or screen in your waiting room.

How should I support families who want to use the discussion guides?

• Encourage the use of weblinks, which lead to resources with more detailed information.
• Refer parents to https://www.aap.org/childvaxguide and https://www.aap.org/teenvaxguide to access the digital versions to share later with family members who have questions about vaccines.

This document was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 5NU38OT000282 funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services.