Talking About Influenza Vaccine Recommendation

Make a Strong Influenza Vaccine Recommendation

Make a Strong Influenza Vaccine Recommendation (SHARE)

It is important that all patients receive a strong recommendation for vaccination from their provider. CDC suggests using the SHARE method to make a strong vaccine recommendation and provide important information to help patients make informed decisions about vaccinations:

SHARE the reasons why an influenza vaccine is right for the patient given his or her age, health status, lifestyle, occupation, or other risk factors.

HIGHLIGHT positive experiences with influenza vaccines (personal or in your practice), as appropriate, to reinforce the benefits and strengthen confidence in influenza vaccination.

ADDRESS patient questions and any concerns about influenza vaccines, including side effects, safety, and vaccine effectiveness in plain and understandable language. Acknowledge that while people who get an influenza vaccine may still get sick with influenza, there are studies that show that illness may be less severe.

REMIND patients that influenza vaccines help protect them and their loved ones from influenza illness and serious complications that can result from influenza, such as hospitalization or even death for some people.

EXPLAIN the potential costs of getting influenza, including potential serious health effects for the patient, time lost (such as missing work or family obligations), financial costs, and potentially spreading influenza to more vulnerable family or friends.

Available Influenza Vaccines

• All influenza vaccines this season are trivalent (three-component) vaccines, designed to protect against three main of Type A and B influenza viruses, including an influenza A(H1N1) viruse, an influenza A(H3N2) virus, and one influenza B Victoria Lineage virus.
• The influenza vaccines this season are trivalent rather than quadrivalent because there have been no confirmed detections of influenza B/Yamagata viruses in global influenza surveillance since March 2020.
• There are many different influenza vaccine options with varying indications, including egg-free and thimerosal-free influenza vaccines, higher dose and adjuvanted vaccines for older patients, and a nasal spray vaccine.
• Three flu vaccine are preferentially recommended for people 65 years and older. These are Fluzone High-Dose Trivalent inactivated flu vaccine, Flublok Trivalent recombinant flu vaccine, and Fluad Trivalent adjuvanted inactivated flu vaccine. This recommendation was based on a review of available studies which suggests that, in this age group, these vaccines are potentially more effective than standard dose unadjuvanted flu vaccines.
• There is no preferential recommendation for people 65 years. These people should receive an influenza vaccine that is approved for their age, with one exception for solid organ transplant recipients (described below).
• Although the high-dose (Fluzone High-Dose) and adjuvanted (Fluad) inactivated influenza vaccines are approved for people 65 years and older, they are acceptable options for solid organ transplant recipients who are 18 through 64 years old and are taking immunosuppressive medications. There is no preference for these vaccines over other age-appropriate vaccines for this group.

Available influenza vaccines include:

• Egg-based standard-dose inactivated influenza vaccines
  • Approved for people aged 6 months and older
• Cell-Based standard-dose inactivated influenza vaccine
  • Approved for people aged 6 months and older
  • Produced by growing virus in cultured cells of mammalian origin instead of in eggs (egg-free)
• High-Dose inactivated influenza vaccine
  • Approved for adults aged 65 years and older.
  • Contains four times the antigen for each virus compared with standard-dose inactivated vaccines.
  • One of three flu vaccines that are preferentially recommended for adults aged 65 years and older.
  • An acceptable option for solid organ transplant recipients who are 18 through 64 years old and are taking immunosuppressive medications, without a preference over other age-appropriate vaccines.
• Recombinant influenza vaccine
  • Approved for adults aged 18 years and older.
  • Contains three times the antigen for each virus compared with standard-dose inactivated vaccines.
  • Produced without influenza viruses or eggs (egg-free).
  • One of three flu vaccines that are preferentially recommended for adults aged 65 years and older.
• Adjuvanted inactivated influenza vaccine
  • Approved for adults aged 65 years and older.
  • Contains an adjuvant (an ingredient intended to help promote a better immune response).
  • One of three flu vaccines that are preferentially recommend for adults aged 65 years and older.
  • An acceptable option for solid organ transplant recipients who are 18 through 64 years old and are taking immunosuppressive medication, without a preference over other age-appropriate vaccines.
• Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (Nasal Spray Vaccine)
  • Approved for people 2 through 49 years old.
  • Contains live influenza viruses that that are grown in eggs and are weakened so that they don't cause illness.
  • Not recommended for pregnant people or for people with some medical conditions.