PATIENTS RECEIVING vaccines will be looking for practical advice and support, so let them know about these online resources. These reputable sites can provide patients and their families with fact sheets, vaccination schedules, and easy-to-read information on the safety and efficacy of specific vaccines.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines
The CDC's website on vaccination contains information for parents, adults, healthcare providers, immunization managers, and immunization partners. The site includes quick links to immunization schedules, answers to common questions, and information for specific patient groups such as pregnant women and travelers.
Immunization Action Coalition
http://www.immunize.org
The Immunization Action Coalition works to increase immunization rates and prevent disease by distributing educational materials to healthcare professionals and their patients. This website offers an A-to-Z index of resources in different languages and provides talking points for addressing concerns and objections patients might have. The site also includes a weekly enewsletter and responses from CDC experts to more than 1,000 questions about vaccines.
PATH's Vaccine Resource Library
http://www.vaccineresources.org
PATH, an international nonprofit organization, offers a slate of immunization resources on its Vaccine Resource Library to benefit healthcare professionals and their patients. Explore PATH's database of high-quality scientific resources, available in 11 languages, and explore up-to-date information on disease, vaccination, and immunization topics in an easy-to-read bulleted format.
Vaccines.gov
http://www.vaccines.gov
This site breaks down the information that patients need into simple, easy-to-navigate sections. Managed by the US Department of Health and Human Services, the site clearly lays out the who, what, when, where, and how of safe and effective vaccinations alongside helpful features such as a glossary and vaccine finder widget. The site also describes vaccines by disease and provides videos, a list of immunization resources, and other tools.