California Respiratory Virus Season Vaccine Messaging for Community Partners and Public Health Messengers
Californians are asking important questions about fall and winter vaccines, due in part to confusing federal public health guidance. As a public health messenger, you can share the importance of vaccines with your family, friends, neighbors and colleagues.
The Public Health for All Californians Together (PHACT) Coalition developed a messaging guide for respiratory virus season. Use this guide to share that vaccines for fall and winter respiratory viruses are recommended, available and covered in California.
The PHACT Coalition connects leaders and organizations throughout the state who are committed to improving health outcomes in California and protecting access to evidence-based, high-quality public health information.
Key Messages for the 2026 - 2027 Respiratory Virus Season
- Getting vaccinated is the best way to keep your family and community healthy and avoid serious respiratory illness this fall and winter. Respiratory virus vaccines can help you avoid spreading illness to others, especially those who are older or who are at higher risk of illness.
- California vaccine recommendations are unchanged. Respiratory virus vaccines, like the flu vaccine, continue to be recommended by the California Department of Public Health. These vaccines are updated for the current season and covered by insurance.
- If you have health insurance or Medi-Cal, call your doctor's office or ask your local pharmacy for a vaccine. If you don't have coverage, check with your local health department or MyTurn.ca.gov.
- Learn more about California's vaccine recommendations at Vaccines for All. Track how respiratory viruses are spreading in your community on the CDPH Dashboard.
5 Guiding Principles for Talking about Vaccines
PREPARE – Amid ongoing disruption of federal policy, expect and prepare for questions on California's guidance on vaccines and preventive services.
- Californians want to know which vaccines are recommended and covered by insurance, providing an opportunity to share why vaccines are so important. Staying up to date on vaccines is the best way to safeguard your family's health and prevent serious illness.
- LISTEN - Acknowledge the concerns of your patients and community members, and pivot toward clear explanations about how vaccines support healthy communities.
- Get curious about what sources of information people in your community are turning toward, what questions they have, and what might be points of confusion. Consider preferred languages and cultural norms.
- Learn about available resources in your community for people who are uninsured, like community health centers or your local health department.
- Clinicians may find best practices on prepping for discussions about vaccines at American Academy of Pediatrics Immunization Discussion Guides.
- Review resources including those that can help illuminate the online conversations as well as what you're hearing in person.
- CONNECT - Explain how vaccines work and talk about the benefits of vaccines, avoid “debunking" myths. Lead with values rather than with data and science.
- Focus on how vaccines help prepare the immune system.
- Emphasize that vaccines help families and communities stay healthy, including the most vulnerable community members like older adults, people with chronic health conditions, and children who may be too young to receive vaccines.
- Explain that vaccines prevent severe illness and hospitalization as their core benefit, rather than prevent disease altogether.
- Elevate first-person accounts or experiences of people who may have gotten the flu when unvaccinated and whose attitudes shifted toward acceptance of the flu vaccine.
- Honor and center culturally specific remedies that families may use during cold & flu season. Remind people about other prevention measures such as handwashing, staying home when sick, etc. These are not mutually exclusive from vaccines and can be meaningful and healing.
- Talking about benefits outweighing risks, low rates of vaccine uptake, framing vaccines primarily as individual protection from disease, and militarized language like “vaccines fight disease."
- Bundling all vaccine communications together. Instead, talk about flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines separately.
- INFORM - Share the basics of access and coverage in California
- All CDPH recommended vaccines are covered by insurance.
- Many adults and kids that are age three and older can get vaccinated at pharmacies, though it is important to call ahead and confirm the pharmacy has vaccines in stock, can administer them, and accepts the patient's insurance.
- Encourage people to get their vaccines before the holidays, to protect their vulnerable family members at holiday gatherings.
- Visit MyTurn.ca.gov to find recommended vaccines and book appointments or make an appointment with health care providers and pharmacists. Call ahead to make sure they have the vaccines you need.
- COLLABORATE
- Remember that access is everything! Engage with partners in your community. Connect with schools, pharmacies, providers, and local health department officials to coordinate vaccine events and share information.
- Encourage word of mouth sharing of messages, as well as via official channels. Most often, people trust the information they get from someone they know.
Resources
Want to know what vaccines are recommended for children and families? Find recommendations in a variety of languages.
Looking for trusted info on vaccines?
Are you a clinician or health worker communicating with patients or families?
- Clinician conversation guides:
- Framing for outreach to broader audiences:
Curious about what people are saying online and how to proactively message about vaccines?
Want to share or highlight personal stories about the impact of vaccines to connect with your audience? Find compelling personal accounts that can help empower people to make informed choices.