A yearly checkup is more than just a quick visit—it’s a chance to make sure kids are growing well, feeling well, and ready for the year ahead. Doctors use these checkups to check physical and mental health, readiness for school, and to give vaccines. Just like younger children, teens benefit from routine checkups to keep them healthy.
Even though checkups are important, up to half of kids skip at least one yearly checkup. Older teens and those without easy access to a clinic are more likely to miss out. Missing checkups can mean gaps in care, like missed vaccines or important screenings.
At a checkup, you can ask which vaccines your child is due for and talk through any questions with your healthcare provider. If your preteen or teen hasn’t had a yearly checkup yet, now is a great time to make an appointment. Learn more about vaccines for your preteen or teen.
Cost Shouldn't Be a Barrier
In California, families without health insurance or with health insurance that does not cover the cost of vaccines can get free vaccines for kids and teens through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. Ask your clinic or local health department about VFC. You can also make an appointment for free to low-cost vaccines at myturn.ca.gov.
Here are activities you can use to promote AIAW in your community. Activities are organized by focus area: social/traditional media, providers, schools, and other partners. Labels indicate the level of resources required to implement so you can choose ones that match your team’s time and capacity:
- Low, suitable for teams with limited capacity
- Medium, ideal for teams with some availability and resources
- High, best suited for teams with considerable capacity and availability.
Social Media and Traditional Media
Update your website. (Low) Post AIAW information, clinic locations, and links to ShotsForSchool.org. Add CDPH's AIAW web banners or create a dedicated AIAW page.
Use social media. (Low) Share posts on Facebook or X about HPV vaccine and 7th grade entry requirements. Use sample posts from this toolkit, CDPH's School-Located Vaccine Event Toolkits, or CDPH's Don't Wait–Vaccinate campaign. Promote ShotByShot stories. Encourage staff and partners to like, share, and comment.
Share resources electronically. (Low) Email flyers and links to school staff, LHD staff, local clinics, and community organizations.
Add AIAW info to email signatures. (Low) Consider using one of the AIAW infographics.
Create an immunization display. (Low) Set up posters or flyers in your lobby for parents to take home.
Distribute printed materials. (Medium) Share with schools, clinics, and community organizations. (LHDs order directly from CDPH.)
Work with media. (Medium) Send a press release or offer story ideas about AIAW. Provide information about local immunization clinics, extended hours, etc.
Promote radio or TV PSAs. (Medium) Use CDPH spots or create your own.
Offer multilingual spokespeople. (Medium) Arrange interviews with local health staff or your health officer.
Engaging Providers
Use reminders. (Low) Encourage providers to send postcards or make calls to patients who are due or behind on vaccinations. (Reminder postcards are available to LHDs through the IZ Coordinators Branch Store.)
Promote every-visit vaccination. (Low) Remind providers that sports physicals and other visits are also opportunities to vaccinate.
Send provider letters. (Medium) Create and share an order form for materials or printed resources, especially with clinics that have low immunization coverage.
Add articles to newsletters/listservs. (Medium) Use the Healthcare Provider e-blast to reach HCPs through their local professional society or healthcare organization news.
Partner with dental providers to promote HPV vaccination. (High) Share resources such as the Action Guide for Dental Health Care Providers (PDF), Q&A Guide for Dental Professionals (PDF), and 5 key points on oropharyngeal cancer for dentists (PDF, 7.8 MB).
Do quality improvement visits. (High) Support clinics that have low HPV immunization rates. See the American Cancer Society Action Guides for more details.
Host provider trainings. (High) Offer webinars or in-person trainings on adolescent immunizations, schedules, and best practices.
Partner with hospitals. (High) Co-host or promote adolescent vaccine clinics.
Attend health fairs or conferences. (High) Educate providers and the public on recommended immunizations and the Tdap immunization requirement.
Engaging Schools
Send a letter from your Health Officer to send school superintendents a letter (Low) to superintendents about immunization-related requirements for schools and the importance of regular check-ups for students.
Send vaccine information to school staff. (Low) Use the template School Staff E-blast.
Encourage school communication. (Low) Suggest schools use robocalls, emails, newsletters, or the Letter from School Nurse to Parents [add jump link] to share information about immunizations. They can use the Ready for 7th Grade flyer (PDF, 2.2 MB), flyer for parents about adolescent immunizations, or link to school immunization requirements listed on CDPH's Shots For School webpage.
Share HPV vaccine information. (Low) Support schools in meeting the HPV education requirement as outlined in AB659 Cancer Prevention Act. Share the template communications offered on that webpage.
Attend school/PTA/nurse meetings. (Medium) Discuss immunization requirements for 7th graders (PDF, 2.2 MB), the AB659 Cancer Prevention Act, and SB144 Public Health for All.
Promote use of the School and Childcare Roster Lookup (SCRL) tool in CAIR Hub. (Medium) Train school nurses and staff to generate immunization reports. Be sure to direct them to CDPH's online training modules on implementing school immunization requirements.
Co-host school vaccination events. (High) Work with schools to offer on-site or community clinics. See CDPH's School-Located Vaccine Events page to learn more about how to host your own event.
Engaging Other Partners
Work with WIC. (Low) Ask them to promote Tdap clinics, distribute flyers, or display materials about vaccines for adolescents.
Partner with libraries or businesses. (Medium) Display materials like the Vaccines for Your Preteen parent flyer (PDF) or highlight adolescent health books.
Visit the CDPH School Located Vaccination Events page and check out the toolkit for adolescent events.
Social media has emerged as a powerful tool for health communication, offering unparalleled reach and engagement. By creating clear, concise, and visually appealing content such as infographics and videos, health organizations can effectively convey complex information. Utilizing relevant hashtags, like #AIAW26 for Adolescent Immunization Awareness Week, and collaborating with influencers can further amplify these messages.
Consistency and strategic scheduling are also crucial. Organizing posts around specific themes, such as dedicating certain days to topics like HPV vaccination or adolescent checkups, ensures a steady flow of information. Active monitoring and responding to user interactions fosters trust and credibility, contributing to better health outcomes and a well-informed public.
Use the relevant messages at CDPH's Don't Wait – Vaccinate! campaign webpage. Don't forget to end your social media messages with “#AIAW26" and tag your partners using @PartnerName (e.g., @CAPublicHealth).
Themed Days: