With flu season just around the corner, now is the best time to start talking to your patients about getting their annual flu vaccination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months or older get a flu vaccine.

An annual flu vaccine is the most effective way to reduce one's risk of getting sick with seasonal flu and spreading it to others. Physicians can help to protect our most vulnerable populations by encouraging all patients to get the flu shot as soon as possible.

In an effort to increase flu vaccination rates, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed free educational materials that physicians and other health care providers can download and use to promote flu vaccinations. These materials include brochures, flyers, posters and postcards that are translated into several languages including Arabic, Armenian, Cambodian, Chinese, Farsi, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese. Additional influenza information and resources are available at www.cdc.gov/fightflu.

CMS would also like to hear from health care providers about the barriers you encounter when promoting flu vaccinations; by taking a quick five-minute survey you can help CMS understand how they can better meet providers’ needs and help reach more people.