Flu Busters: Resources for Physicians

The Flu Busters initiative can help you:

  1. Implement or enhance flu vaccination practices in your office with toolkits and shared best practices;
  2. Educate about vaccines in your office, in the media, or at public events such as your local PTA or civic organization;
  3. Understand why all health care workers should receive annual flu vaccinations and how to promote vaccinations among your staff; and
  4. Help you keep up with the latest flu vaccine news.
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Patient Education Materials

Practices are encouraged to place these Flu Busters patient education materials in their waiting and exam rooms.

Other helpful vaccine materials from the CDC, for general use:

Letters to the Editor: Respond to articles in the news about vaccinations or use them to educate the public during key vaccination times (National Immunization Awareness Month in August or National Infant Immunization Week in April).

Download our outreach guide! Our Flu Busters campaign page for the public can be accessed here.

How to Talk to Patients and Parents About Flu Vaccine

These fact sheets, created by the CDC, provide information on the timing and types of influenza vaccinations as well as methods to provide a strong influenza vaccine recommendation to parents, adults ages 50-64, adults ages 65+, and the general public.

MCMS Encourages Flu Shots for Health Care Workers

Consider changing the vaccination policy in your practice to require that staff be immunized for the flu to protect their patients, themselves, and their families. Help spread the message by displaying this poster in hospital employee break rooms, physicians’ offices, and other places where health care workers and staff gather.

Preparing Your Practice for Flu Season

The CDC has created a flu season toolkit, including this useful slide deck, flu vaccine appointment reminder template, and sample social media content.

Additional Vaccination Resources

ImmuNet
ImmuNet is a free, confidential immunization registry developed by the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) to maintain immunization records. ImmuNet consolidates immunization records from multiple sources and stores patient vaccination information electronically in one central, secure system. In addition, ImmuNet offers online access to patients’ vaccination history. Reporting to ImmuNet is required in Maryland. MCMS has a resource base to help you comply.

Maryland Vaccination Requirements
The Maryland Vaccine Requirements for Children Enrolled in Preschool and Schools outline vaccinations needed for school.  For more information about back-to-school requirements, visit the Maryland Department of Health or Montgomery County's Department of Health and Human ServicesExemption information is available online. Schools around the county are offering free Tdap and meningococcal-meningitis vaccines for students entering grades 7 to 12. Find an event near you. 

Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System
The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is a national vaccine safety surveillance program cosponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. These agencies use the information VAERS collects and analyzes about vaccine-reportable events to ensure safe vaccine use and reduce the rare risk associated with some vaccines.

Want to get involved with Flu Busters or need more information? Email MCMS staff or call (301) 921-4300.

Meet Our Founding Flu Busters

Our founding Flu Busters launched this campaign as part of Montgomery County Medical Society's Vaccination Initiative. The Initiative's mission is to increase public awareness and overall patient compliance with recommended vaccine schedules for preventable illnesses.

The three pillars identified to support this mission are to:

  1. create a culture of patient compliance, by pursuing initiatives such as a statewide vaccination day and campaigns for public education; and
  2. support changes to legal & regulatory frameworks requiring vaccinations; and
  3. provide and promote tools for physicians in Montgomery County, such as patient education materials and best practice guides.

Founding Flu Busters:

  • Brent Berger, M.D., Internal Medicine
  • Bailey Cannon, M.D., Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Audrey Corson, M.D., Internal Medicine
  • Benjamin Galper, M.D., Interventional Cardiology & Cardiovacular Disease
  • Travis Gayles, M.D., Pediatrics
  • Carol Levy, M.D., M.P.H., Emergency Medicine
  • Carolyn B. O'Conor, M.D., Family Medicine
  • Peter Sherer, M.D., Medical Oncology & Hematology