People from racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected when it comes to receiving recommended vaccines. Many factors can contribute to lower vaccination rates, including concerns about vaccine safety and limited access to health care and coverage.
Importance of Immunizations
Immunizations, often referred to as vaccinations, vaccines, or shots, may include commonly known vaccinations, such as flu shots and COVID-19 vaccines, in addition to other important, routine vaccinations for different age groups. The CDC recommends certain vaccines, including the Tdap, Td, HPV, influenza, and hepatitis B vaccines, for teens and adults based on different age groups. CDC also recommends that adults over the age of 50 receive the shingles vaccine, pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, which protect against serious pneumococcal diseases, including meningitis and pneumonia.
Racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected when it comes to receiving recommended vaccines. Many factors can contribute to lower vaccination rates, including concerns about vaccine safety and limited access to care and health coverage.
To keep up with the latest information about COVID-19, visit www.coronavirus.gov. For a complete and updated list of CMS actions, and other information specific to CMS, please visit the Current Emergencies Website.
- Flu Resources for Health Care Professionals
- Annual Influenza Vaccination Disparities in Medicare Beneficiaries (PDF): Snapshot of vaccination data by race, ethnicity, and gender among people on Medicare.
CMS Flu Shot Information: Information for those who administer flu shots.
CMS Seasonal Influenza Vaccines Pricing: Pricing information for Medicare providers who administer seasonal flu vaccines.
CDC Flu Activity & Surveillance: Weekly surveillance reports and interactive tools to show how flu activity is spreading across the U.S.
CDC FluSight: An interactive tool that forecasts the spread of flu to help providers and health care professionals plan for flu.
CDC Prevention Strategies for Seasonal Influenza in Healthcare Settings: Tips to help health care workers and others in health care settings stay safe and healthy during flu season.
CDC Information for Clinicians on Influenza Virus Testing: Flu testing information, including when to test and types of tests.
Visit www.cms.gov/flu for a complete list of CMS flu vaccine resources.
- Flu Resources for Patients and Partners
- Additional Immunization and Vaccination Resources for Patients and Partners
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Preventative and Screening Services: Type your test, item, or service and find out if it is covered under your Medicare coverage.
C2C Prevention Resources: C2C prevention resources on immunizations and other no-cost services for adults, teens, children, and infants.
- Childhood Vaccine Resources
The CDC now recommends that everyone ages 6 years and older get 1 updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to help protect against COVID-19. Children aged 6 months – 5 years may need multiple doses of COVID-19 vaccine to be up to date, depending on the number of doses they’ve had before and their age. The COVID-19 vaccine is free of charge to all people living in the U.S. regardless of immigration or health insurance status. You may be asked to show ID or health insurance, but it's not a requirement.
Check with your child’s provider about whether they offer COVID-19 vaccination or your local pharmacy to see if walk-ins or appointments are available for children. You can also visit Vaccines.gov to find COVID-19 vaccines near you.
- Resources in Other Languages
Shareable CMS Resources to Promote Flu Vaccines
Share the importance of flu shots with your partners, community members, and Medicare enrollees. Download the graphics below to post on your social media channels. Find more shareable resources like social media and blog content and graphics in 18 languages.
