The CDC’s SHARE Model Helps Health Care Professionals Talk to Patients About the Importance of Influenza Vaccines to Make Informed Decisions

The influenza vaccine has been shown to prevent millions of illnesses, tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths each year.

At Cook Children’s, we want to provide the vaccine to as many patients as possible whether they are making an appointment with their pediatrician or staying overnight at the medical center. 

This flu season we are making the influenza vaccine available to any patient staying overnight at Cook Children’s, beginning in mid-September. Please take the opportunity to talk to your inpatient families about receiving the flu shot while they are staying at Cook Children’s.

Phillip Scott, M.D., knows first-hand the growing number of parents who are hesitant to give their child any vaccine, including one for the flu. But he also understands the power of talking to parents about the importance of immunization for a child.

“We play a critical role as providers in keeping our patients up to date on their routine childhood immunizations, including the influenza vaccine,” said Phillip Scott, M.D. “In the face of widespread vaccine hesitancy, it is important that we are prepared to talk to our patients and families about the influenza vaccine. Don’t underestimate the importance of a simple conversation. Your patients and their families value your opinion and are relying on your recommendations regarding this year’s influenza vaccine.”

So how do you go about talking to a family about the vaccine?

SHARE is a five-part approach that health care professionals can use to communicate with patients about the importance of influenza vaccines and to enable patients to make informed decisions.

If you would like more information about talking to patients regarding the influenza vaccine please see Resources for Vaccinating Inpatients Against COVID-19 and the Flu (cookchildrens.org).*

*Note: You must be connected to the network to access this page.