Communication Aids

Why use these resources?

• To promote efficient, productive conversations with parents, while giving a strong recommendation for immunizations.
• Information is backed by guidance developed by AAP immunization Subject Matter Experts.
• They include 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 immunizations recommended during pregnancy to protect infants, 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 patient 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

• Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant;
• Families of infants and young children;
• Adolescents, teens, and their families;
• Families who accept vaccines;
• Families who hesitate or have questions about vaccines; and
• Families who are in for:
  • well visits,
  • sick visits and due for vaccines,
  • seasonal vaccine or vaccine-only appointments

Getting Started: Preparing Your Team and Practice

• To use the discussion guides effectively, it’s important for clinicians and all staff to review the content in advance and plan how the guides will fit into your practice’s daily workflow. Being well-prepared helps make vaccine conversations more confident and effective.
• Consider sharing this resource and involving other partners or departments for hospitalbased practices such as obstetricians or the newborn nursery to promote consistent messaging and early engagement with families.
• Although initial implementation of the Discussion Guides may require modest time and resources (e.g., printing, laminating, storing, staff training), many practices have found the guides easy to use and that their effectiveness improves over time with only small adjustments.
• Introducing the guides before the vaccine visit (e.g., at the 1-month visit for 2 month vaccines) gives families time to understand the information and come prepared with questions.
• Families also appreciate having time to review the guides on their own in the waiting room, exam room, or at home. Providing direct access through printed handouts, digital links, or QR codes in advance can support more meaningful conversations.
• Additional ideas include holding a team meeting to discuss the initiative, identifying a timeline for implementation, selecting a couple of champions to help facilitate the process, and evaluate progress on a periodic basis.

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.
• Create and distribute QR codes that link to the digital guides. These can be printed on posters, business cards, or signs and shared with families who want to view the guide on their phone at home.
• Link the guides through patient portals or text/email reminders before appointments to give parents time to prepare and come up with questions.

How can 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/babyvaxguide,  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.