Next Week is National Influenza Vaccination Week!
January 10 - 16, 2010 is National Influenza Vaccination Week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced the week of January 10-16, 2010, as National Influenza Vaccination Week. This week-long event is designed to raise awareness of the importance of continuing influenza (flu) vaccinations, as well as foster greater use of flu vaccine in January, February, and beyond. Since flu activity typically does not peak until February or later, January and February still provide good opportunities to offer flu shots. This year, Thursday, January 15th, is designated as Seniors' Vaccination Day. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) needs your help to ensure that people with Medicare get their flu shots. Please use this week long event as an opportunity to place greater emphasis on flu prevention. If you have Medicare patients who have not yet received their annual flu shots, we ask that you encourage these patients to protect themselves from the seasonal flu and serious complications arising from the flu virus by recommending that they take advantage of the flu shot benefit covered by Medicare. And remember, health care professionals and their staff are also at risk for contracting and spreading the flu virus, so don't forget to immunize yourself and your staff. NOTE: - Influenza vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. Influenza vaccine is NOT a Part D covered drug. For information about Medicare's coverage of the seasonal influenza virus vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational resources for health care professionals and their staff, please go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/Downloads/flu_products.pdf on the CMS website. You will find a variety of resources that explain Medicare coverage and claims submission policies related to the seasonal influenza vaccine. For information on Medicare policies related to H1N1 influenza, please go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/H1N1 on the CMS website. For more information about National Influenza Vaccination Week, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website, <http://www.cdc.gov/flu/nivw/index.htm> http://www.cdc.gov/flu/nivw/index.htm, on the Web. ________________________________________________________________________ _____________ New from the Medicare Learning NetworkMedicare Learning Network (MLN) Logo(r) The Adult Immunizations brochure, which provides an overview of Medicare's coverage of seasonal influenza, Pneumococcal, and Hepatitis B vaccines and their administration, is now available in print format. To place your order for the print version, select "MLN Product Ordering Page" in the "Related Links Inside CMS" Section on the Medicare Learning Network homepage at www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNGenInfo/01_Overview.asp. You can also view the downloadable version at the following address: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/adult_immunization.pdf For more products related to Medicare-covered preventive services, please visit our preventive services educational products website at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------- It's Not Too Late to Get the Seasonal Flu Shot. While seasonal influenza outbreaks can happen as early as October, influenza activity usually peaks in January.[1] The seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to prevent infection and the complications associated with the flu. Re-vaccination is necessary each flu season because flu viruses change each year. CMS is asking our health care provider community to please encourage your Medicare patients who haven't already done so to get their annual flu shot. It is also important to be sure that you immunize yourself and your staff. Remember - Influenza vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. Note that influenza vaccine is NOT a Part D covered drug. For information about Medicare's coverage of the seasonal influenza virus vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational resources for health care professionals and their staff, please go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/Downloads/flu_products.pdf on the CMS website. You will find a variety of resources that explain Medicare coverage and claims submission policies related to the seasonal influenza vaccine. For information on Medicare policies related to H1N1 influenza, please go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/H1N1 on the CMS website. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------- Note: If you have problems accessing any hyperlink in this message, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to ( <https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/show_list_archives> https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/show_list_archives) to unsubscribe or to leave the appropriate listserv. Please DO NOT respond to this email. This email is a service of CMS and routed through an electronic mail server to communicate Medicare policy and operational changes and/or updates. Responses to this email are not routed to CMS personnel. Inquiries may be sent by going to ( <http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ContactCMS> http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ContactCMS). Thank you. _____ _____ _____ [1] Seasonal Influenza, 2009-2010. Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine [online]. Atlanta, GA: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009 [cited 23 December 2009]. Available from the World Wide Web: ( <http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm> http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm)
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