Respiratory Illness Prevention Co-Brandable Toolkit for Local Health Jurisdictions

This toolkit is currently under review to be updated for the 2024-2025 respiratory illness season; some content may be out of date.

This toolkit was created to aid Washington state local health jurisdictions (LHJs) in educating their communities on a range of respiratory disease related topics. This toolkit primarily focuses on general respiratory disease prevention, vaccine promotion, COVID-19, flu, and RSV. Specific messaging for high-risk groups, including children, older adults and pregnant people is included.

If you have questions about how to use this toolkit, or have suggestions for material creation, contact healtheducation@doh.wa.gov.

Contents

This toolkit includes premade materials and drop in, do-it-yourself materials.

  • Premade materials are DOH branded and have space for you to add your LHJ’s logo.
    • Important: These materials cannot be edited in any other way, other than adding your logo next to the Washington DOH logo. Do not remove DOH publication number or ADA statement.
  • Drop in, DIY materials are created with DOH approved language that you can pull from to develop your own materials and communications.
    • Important: Work with your communication staff. Always work with your assigned public information officer and communication staff on communication issues.

The Co-brandable Respiratory Illness Prevention Toolkit is a government-to-government communications product authorized and developed in alignment with DOH’s Publication Standards.

In adherence to our commitment to health equity amongst statewide communities and public health programs, the Toolkit is authorized for use only with Local Health Jurisdiction (LHJ) partners and tribal governments within the state of WA. 

Premade Materials

How To Add Your Logo to the Co-Brandable Material

  1. Open your selected document in an Adobe PDF reading program, such as Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat.
  2. In the document, click on the placeholder rectangle. It is a white rectangle with an image icon in it.
    Placeholder rectangle, showing a white rectangle with an image icon in the center
  3. In the "Select Image" window that pops up, click on "Browse."
  4. Select the image you would like to add and click "Open."
  5. Once the image is selected hit "OK."
  6. Save updated file.
  7. Share the resource wherever you would like!

Public

Provider

Drop-In, DIY Materials

2024-2025 Respiratory Disease Talking Points

Use these talking points when replying to media requests, preparing news releases, and creating and responding on social media posts.

Resources

General Respiratory Disease Talking Points

No-Cost Vaccines for Youth

In Washington, children under 19 years old can get vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at no cost through the Childhood Vaccine Program.

Older Adults, Long Term Care Facilities and Adult Family Homes

Older adults are at higher risk of serious illness from respiratory disease like COVID-19, the flu and RSV. It is important that older adults, and people in the same household or who work with older adults get vaccinated against respiratory diseases to protect those at highest risk of developing severe disease from respiratory illness.

Adult Family Homes and Long-Term Care Facilities should support residents and health care professionals in getting up to date on vaccinations for respiratory diseases. Educate visitors and family members about the importance of getting vaccinated.

Preventing the Spread of Respiratory Diseases

It can take a combination of strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These strategies may include staying up to date on vaccinations, improving ventilation, frequently washing hands with soap and water, using alcohol-based hand sanitizers, staying home when you are sick, and wearing masks or respirators.

Wearing a well-fitted mask or respirator helps prevent the spread of many respiratory diseases. Even though masks are no longer required in many places, we recommend that people ages 2 years and older wear masks in the following circumstances:

There are currently no statewide mask mandates for the general public.

Employers must follow the State Department of Labor & Industries requirements for preventing COVID-19.

Private businesses can choose to require masks.

Health care facilities may choose to require workers and visitors to wear masks.

Vaccine Co-Administration

Getting multiple vaccinations at the same appointment is convenient and makes it easier to stay up to date on your vaccinations.

You can receive your COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccinations at the same visit if it is convenient for you. There is no recommended wait time between these vaccinations. You should not delay any vaccination just so you can get all of your vaccinations at the same time. The RSV vaccine is not recommended for everyone. Ask your healthcare provider if the RSV vaccine is recommended for you.

Resources and Data by Region

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has a Respiratory Illness Data Dashboard where you can track COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease activity by region across the state. This dashboard shows data of larger regional areas called Accountable Communities of Health (ACH) instead of individual counties.

COVID-19 Talking Points

COVID-19 Vaccines General Information

COVID-19 is a serious disease that can cause severe illness, hospitalization, and death, even in healthy people.

Some people are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. This includes people over the age of 65, infants, pregnant people, and people with underlying medical conditions (like lung disease, heart disease, or a weakened immune system).

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and recommended for everyone 6 months and up. COVID-19 vaccines provide the best protection against severe illness, hospitalizations, and death from COVID-19.

It is important to stay up to date with all COVID-19 vaccine doses recommended to you. Most people ages 5 years and older just need one updated 2023-2024 dose to be up to date.

  • Children 6 months-4 years may need more than one dose of an updated 2024-2025 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to be up to date with COVID-19 vaccination.
  • People 6 months and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised should complete a 3-dose initial series and may receive additional doses of the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months after their last 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine dose.
COVID-19 Vaccines Available 2024-2025

Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty 2024-2025 formula is available for people 6 months and older.

Moderna/Spikevax 2024-2025 formula is available for people 6 months and older.

Novavax 2024-2025 formula is available for people 12 years and older.

COVID-19 Vaccines for Children

Children 6 months-4 years may need more than one dose of an updated 2024-2025 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to be up to date with COVID-19 vaccination.

  • Unvaccinated children 6 months – 4 years old are recommended to receive 2 doses of updated 2023-2024 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine or 3 doses of updated 2024-2025 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Previously vaccinated children 6 months – 4 years old are recommended to receive 1 or 2 doses of an updated 2024-2025 Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine (timing and number of doses to administer depends on the previous COVID-19 vaccine[s] received).
  • Children 5 years and older are up to date with COVID-19 vaccination if they receive at least 1 dose of an updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Individuals 12 years of age and older who have never received a COVID-19 vaccine are recommended to receive 2 doses of 2024-2025 Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, Adjuvanted, 3 weeks apart to gain the best protection against severe disease, hospitalization and/or death related to COVID-19.
  • Individuals 12 years of age and older who were previously vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine (and who have not already been vaccinated with a recently updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine) may consider 1 dose of 2024-2025 Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, Adjuvanted, at least 2 months after their last dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
COVID-19 Vaccines for Pregnant People, Breastfeeding People, and Infants

Pregnant people may be at higher risk for severe illness, hospitalizations, and death from COVID-19 than non-pregnant people.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe to receive at any stage of pregnancy. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine dose while pregnant may transfer COVID-19 antibodies to your baby to help protect them from severe COVID-19 illness in their first 6 months of life, before they are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.

Infants under the age of 6 months are at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness, so it is important for pregnant people to receive a COVID-19 vaccine dose when eligible to give your baby the best protection.

It is safe to receive a COVID-19 vaccine while breastfeeding. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine dose while breastfeeding may pass antibodies to your baby to help protect them against severe COVID-19 illness.

Long COVID

People infected with COVID-19 can continue to have symptoms and long-term effects following their infection called "Long COVID" or "post-COVID Syndrome." Much is still unknown about Long COVID. We continue to learn more as research on Long COVID continues.

People with Long COVID can have a variety of symptoms that can last for weeks, months or years after infection.

Anyone infected with COVID-19 can develop Long COVID. Preventing COVID-19 infection is the best way to prevent Long COVID.

Flu Talking Points

Flu Vaccine General Information

Flu is a serious disease that can cause severe illness, hospitalization, and death, even in healthy people.

Some people are at higher risk of severe illness from the flu. This includes adults age 65 and older, children under 5 years old, pregnant people and people with underlying medical conditions (like lung disease, heart disease, or a weakened immune system).

People who work and live with high-risk groups should get vaccinated every year to protect themselves and at-risk individuals. This includes healthcare workers, school staff and childcare workers.

The Department of Health recommends everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine every year. The flu vaccine is the best defense against becoming seriously ill or hospitalized from the flu. Getting vaccinated helps stop the spread of flu to your at-risk family and friends.

It is best to get the flu vaccine by the end of October. Getting vaccinated later is still beneficial, even if flu activity has already begun. This is because flu activity usually peaks in February but can continue well into May.

Flu Vaccine Safety

People with egg allergy may receive any influenza vaccine (egg based or non-egg based) that is otherwise appropriate for their age and health status.

Flu vaccines have a good safety record. There has been extensive research supporting the safety of flu vaccines.

Flu vaccine cannot cause flu. The vaccines either contain inactivated virus that is no longer infectious, or a particle designed to appear like a flu virus to your immune system. While the nasal spray flu vaccine does contain a live virus, the viruses are changed so that they cannot give you the flu.

Flu Vaccines for Older Adults

People 65 years and older are at higher risk of hospitalizations and deaths. Higher-dose or adjuvanted vaccines are recommended over standard-dose vaccines for people in this age range. If none of the two preferred vaccines are available for people in this age group, they should get any other age-appropriate influenza instead:

Fluzone High-Dose Trivalent and Fluad Trivalent are the high-dose or adjuvanted vaccines for the 2024-2025 flu season.

Caregivers in long-term care facilities and adult family homes who are in daily close contact with people who are vulnerable to serious flu illness and death should stay up to date on vaccines they are eligible for.

Flu Vaccines for Children

Even healthy children can become seriously ill from the flu. Children aged 5 and under are at higher risk of complications from the flu. People under age 19 can get the flu vaccine at no cost.

Flu Vaccines for Pregnant People

Pregnant people and their babies are at higher risk of flu related complications, such as hospitalization.

Pregnant people can receive any licensed, recommended inactivated flu vaccine. The nasal spray vaccine is not recommended for pregnant people. It is safe to get the flu vaccine at any stage before, during or after pregnancy.

When pregnant people get vaccinated, they pass antibodies to their babies. This helps protect newborns from the flu for several months after birth, before they are old enough to get their own vaccine.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Talking Points

RSV Vaccine General Information

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two.

Some people are at higher risk of serious illness from RSV, including premature infants, young children with certain medical conditions or weak immune systems, adults with weak immune systems and older adults.

RSV can sometimes lead to worsening of other medical conditions, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and congestive heart failure. RSV vaccines can help prevent serious illness and can prevent lung infections, like pneumonia.

Children and Monoclonal Antibody Products

RSV infection is the leading cause of hospitalization in U.S. infants. Nearly all children are infected with RSV by 2 years of age.

Infants and young children should get monoclonal antibody products. Monoclonal antibody products provide antibodies against RSV disease and are given by injection. These antibodies provide protection during RSV season. There are two products currently available:

Nirsevimab (Beyfortus) is a long-lasting monoclonal antibody product to keep babies and young children from developing severe RSV disease. Protection from nirsevimab lasts at least five months.

Palivizumab (Synagis) is another monoclonal antibody product, but it is only for children less than 2 years of age with certain conditions that make them at more risk for severe disease. This treatment is given once a month during RSV season.

Monoclonal antibody products are not used to treat children already infected with RSV.

Nirsevimab

Nirsevimab is recommended for all children younger than 8 months during the first RSV season that they may have contact with the virus.

Children between 8 and 19 months of age who are at higher risk due to medical conditions, weak immune systems, or who are American Indian and Alaska Native can get nirsevimab their second RSV season since they are at more risk of getting severe RSV disease.

RSV Vaccines for Pregnant People

Abrysvo, Pfizer’s RSV vaccine, is recommended for use during pregnancy. RSV vaccination during pregnancy provides families with another option to protect babies from getting very sick from RSV.

Pregnant people should get one dose of RSV vaccine from 32 weeks through 36 weeks of pregnancy to protect their babies from September through January.

Infants should not get nirsevimab if their parent was vaccinated for RSV at least 2 weeks before delivery. It takes about 2 weeks for protection against RSV disease. Some infants may still need to get nirsevimab even if the parent received RSV vaccine, so it’s best to check with their doctor or nurse.

People who received an RSV vaccine while pregnant in previous season are not eligible to receive a dose of RSV vaccine this year. Infants born to a person who had a dose of RSV vaccine last season, should receive a dose of Nirsevimab.

RSV Vaccines for Older Adults

RSV infection can be serious, especially in older adults. There are 3 RSV vaccines currently available to protect those 60 and up at risk for severe illness associated with RSV disease. There are 2 recombinant RSV vaccines Arexvy and Abrysvo and one mRNA RSV vaccine mResvia. There is no preferred RSV vaccine.

Currently, those 60 to 74 who are at high risk for severe RSV disease are recommended to receive one lifetime dose of RSV vaccine. People 75 and older are eligible to receive one lifetime dose of RSV vaccine.

If someone received a dose of any of the RSV vaccines last season, they are not authorized for a dose this season. 

Social Media Recommendations and Sample Posts

Use these social media language samples to create your own text and image posts on sites like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Threads. Note that different social media sites have different word limits and linking capabilities in posts. You may choose to break up longer messages when posting on some sites. You may also need to share links in your social media profile “bio” instead of sharing directly in the post.

Resources

You may choose to share links to your own public health web pages. If you would like to share DOH links, we suggest sharing any of the following:

Posting Timelines

Post frequently enough to reach your audience, but not so much that your audience becomes overwhelmed with the same messages.

For each disease topic, aim to post frequently when disease activity is ongoing, and for a month before expected seasonal activity.

For flu-related posts, plan to post from September through March.

  • Flu can occur year-round, but typically flu activity begins in October and peaks between December and February.
  • You should begin promoting vaccination before October.

COVID-19 posts, plan to post year-round.

  • COVID-19 activity occurs year-round. When posting about COVID-19 in relation to other respiratory diseases, follow flu and RSV posting suggestions.

RSV posts, plan to post in the fall and winter, from October through March.

  • RSV can occur year-round, but activity is typically begins in the fall and peaks in the winter.
Creating Graphics for Social Media

You can use royalty-free stock photos from sites like Unsplash and Burst.

Sites like Canva can help you create simple social media posts using premade templates.

Creating Videos for Social Media

Posting short videos to sites like Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok is another way to engage with your community online.

Use the Respiratory Disease Talking Points to help write your script.

We suggest keeping your video to under three minutes so people can easily watch and remember what they learned. For this reason, it is better to make many short videos, each on one topic, than one long video with many topics.

You can film videos with a smart phone to create a budget friendly, personable video.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when filming:

  • Hold the phone you are filming with vertically. Get someone else to hold it for you if possible.
  • Use good lighting. Outdoor lighting or lighting near a window is a good option.
  • Use on-screen subtitles – this makes your video accessible to individuals with auditory impairments.
  • Keep it friendly. Have fun when filming. Try to keep your voice and body language relaxed, like you are talking to a friend. This can make your video more engaging and relatable.

These tips and more can be found on TikTok's website.

Addressing Misinformation

When addressing misinformation, it is better to lead with the fact rather than the misinformation. This is because you don’t want to risk spreading more misinformation yourself by addressing specific misinformation that people may not have heard elsewhere.

Example:

Don’t say "You may have heard that the flu vaccine can give you the flu, but this is not true."

Passive online scrollers may just see "the flu vaccine can give you the flu" and only remember that as they continue scrolling.

Instead, say "The flu vaccine cannot give you the flu. Some people have mild flu-like symptoms after the vaccine that typically go away quickly."

Additional Resources

Department of Health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention