NFID Announces Launch of National Respiratory Communications Initiative

Bethesda, MD (August 17, 2026)—The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), in collaboration with partner organizations, including the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM), Immunize.org, and Vaccinate Your Family, is proud to launch the National Respiratory Communications Initiative (NRCI)—a new collaborative working to ensure that evidence-based information about respiratory disease prevention, including influenza, COVID-19, RSV, and pneumococcal disease, is clear, consistent, and accessible for everyone.

“Immunization is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of serious respiratory illness,” said NFID CEO Rebecca Alvania, PhD, MA, MPH. “Yet many people remain confused about which vaccines they need, when to get them, and where to go, and fragmented public education efforts can make it hard for trusted information to break through.”

By bringing together leading immunization, infectious disease, patient advocacy, and public health organizations, NRCI aims to make evidence-based prevention guidance easier to find, understand, and use. At NRCI’s center is a unified public awareness campaign communicating the risks of respiratory diseases and the value of immunization. Partners will align around shared messages and key moments, then amplify the campaign to their own audiences and stakeholders via trusted voices and channels—creating greater visibility and impact than any single organization could achieve alone.

More information about NRCI will be shared at the NFID Annual Respiratory Season Kick-Off on September 24, 2026, in Washington, DC.

About the National Respiratory Communications Initiative (NRCI)

NRCI is a coalition of leading immunization, infectious disease, patient advocacy, and public health organizations working together to make evidence-based respiratory disease prevention guidance clear, consistent, and accessible for the public and healthcare professionals alike.

About the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases

Founded in 1973, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to educating and engaging the public, communities, and healthcare professionals about infectious diseases across the lifespan. NFID has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and has earned a Platinum transparency seal from Candid/GuideStar. For more information, and to access trusted science-based resources on immunization for both healthcare professionals and the public, visit www.nfid.org.

Contact: Communications@nfid.org