Pneumococcal Disease

Pneumococcal disease is a leading cause of illness throughout the world, but there are safe and effective vaccines that can help prevent it

Annual flu vaccination is the best way to protect patients with diabetes from flu and serious long-term complications

Share these Halloween sample social posts to encourage everyone to stay up-to-date with all recommended vaccines

There has been a global campaign of misinformation, driven by social media, that has led many parents to refuse vaccines for their families. Refusing vaccination puts both their own children and their communities at-risk…

US Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams, MD, MPH joined medical/public health leaders at the annual NFID Influenza/Pneumococcal News Conference on September 27, 2018 to discuss the importance of preventing influenza (flu) and pneumococcal disease and to encourage all individuals age 6 months and older to get vaccinated against flu every year. Adams was joined by an expert panel, moderated by…

Vaccines are among the most significant achievements in public health and can help protect against 14 deadly diseases. Share these infographics to help spread information, not disease!

On September 28, 2017, NFID hosted the 2017 Annual Influenza/Pneumococcal News Conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Partner organizations joined NFID to highlight the importance of annual flu vaccination for all individuals age six months and older.

Protecting public health requires new innovations such as developing life-saving vaccines as well as clearly-defined state and federal policies to help control the spread of disease. But public health also requires healthcare professionals and leaders dedicated to treating individual patients and sharing what they have learned through their experiences and research with the broader health community. In recognition of one such dedicated leader, NFID is proud to present the 2017 John P. Utz Leadership Award to Thomas M. File, Jr., MD.

There’s a disease that kills up to 18,000 US adults age 65 years and older each year. It can cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections (sepsis), meningitis, and ear and sinus infections. As many as 900,000 US adults contract it each year — 400,000 of whom require hospitalization. Pneumococcal disease is a serious concern for anyone over the age of 65, but there are safe and effective vaccines to help prevent it.

Similar to eating healthy foods, exercising, and getting regular check-ups, vaccines are vital in order to stay healthy, particularly for older adults. As you age, your immune system typically does not function as well as it used to, making older adults more susceptible to vaccine-preventable infectious diseases and serious complications.

Immunization is one of the 10 great public health successes of the 20th century. Through the use of vaccines, measles and rubella have been eliminated in the western hemisphere, polio has been eliminated from most of the world, and smallpox has been completely eradicated. However, while childhood vaccination rates are relatively high in the US, adult vaccination rates remain low.

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) encourages you to use American Health Month to promote heart healthy behaviors and remind patients with heart disease about the importance of staying up-to-date with recommended vaccines – especially flu and pneumococcal vaccines – due to their increased risk of becoming ill with serious complications.