Get Informed: 2020-21 Flu Season Information Resources

Posted by Sharon Han on October 30th, 2020 Posted in: Consumer Health, General, MedlinePlus, NLM Products, Public Health

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The 2020-21 flu season is well under way, and extra caution is emphasized due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (CDC). It’s not too late to build awareness and to take action to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community from spreading respiratory illness. Take a look at the following influenza information resources from NLM and beyond to learn and share with others. Spread health information, not germs!

 

General Information on Flu and Flu Vaccine

Medline Plus

• Flu
• Flu Shot
• Flu Test
• Flu materials in multiple languages

CDC

• Influenza Main Site
• The Difference Between Flu and COVID-19
• Frequently Asked Questions for the 2020-21 Flu Season
• Who Needs a Flu Vaccine and When
• Misconceptions about Flu Vaccines

Resources for Health Professionals/ Researchers

• Information for Health Care Professionals 2020-21 Flu Season (CDC) – collection of resources to inform health workforce about flu, how to protect themselves, and how to protect patients
• Information for Clinicians on Influenza Virus Testing (CDC)
• Resources and Funding for Influenza Researchers (NIAID)
• Fight Flu Toolkit (CDC) – provides materials to share with patients to encourage vaccination and facilitate productive patient conversations

Flu Resources by State

• California Department of Public Health
• State of Hawaii Department of Health
• Arizona Department of Health Services
• Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health

Data Sources and Tools

• FluView – CDC weekly reports
• FluView Interactive – CDC data visualization tool for US flu season surveillance
• FluNet – World Health Organization data tool for global flu surveillance
• VaccineFinder– mapping tool of vaccination locations

Communication Resources

• CDC Digital Media Toolkit – social media, digital, and print materials to educate public about the flu and vaccination
• Flu Vaccine Social Media Toolkit from AMA, Ad Council, and CDC
• Resources for National Influenza Vaccination Week (Dec 6-12, 2020)
• #SleeveUp to #FightFlu campaign

Related Resources

• Achoo! Flu, Cold, or Something Else? from NIH MedlinePlus Magazine—reviews symptomatic and treatment differences between common cold, seasonal flu, airborne allergies, and pneumonia.
• MedlinePlus Topic Pages for Vaccine Safety (English and Español)
• NNLM Reading Club: Vaccinations and Immunizations Book Picks
• Flu Near You Citizen Science Project: help scientists track influenza in the United States in real time

Have a question about using any of these resources? Please contact Sharon, Associate Fellow, at shan4@library.ucla.edu.

Be safe and be well!