Communicating about Children with High-Risk Medical Conditions: Cdc's 2009 H1N1 Response

Background: Children with certain high-risk medical conditions are a key population to reach with prevention messages this flu season.  Data collected from April-August 2009, published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on September 4, 2009, indicated that 67% of children who died as a result of 2009 H1N1 influenza had at least one medical condition that put them at high risk of developing flu complications. Since April 2009, over 250 children under the age of 18 have died from 2009 H1N1 Influenza.   

Setting: CDC’s 2009 H1N1 Emergency Operations Center, Children’s Health Team

Population: Children with high-risk medical conditions

Project Description: Members of CDC’s 2009 H1N1 Children’s Health Team will report on their communication efforts to reach key target audiences—specifically parents, clinicians, and organizations who serve children with high-risk medical conditions.  Examples of communication activities include: 1) collaborating with a diverse group of experts at CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics to compile a comprehensive list of high-risk medical conditions, 2) disseminating the list to partners and parents,  3) working across CDC’s 2009 H1N1 response teams to ensure that the CDC website consistently included children with high-risk medical conditions as a priority population for vaccination, and 4) using social media as a key way to reach opinion leaders and inform them about this population and the importance of vaccination.

Results/Lessons Learned: During the 2009 H1N1 influenza response children with high-risk medical conditions emerged as a priority population to vaccinate.  Communication activities succeeded in establishing new internal and external partnerships and capitalizing on existing partnerships to help increase awareness about children with high-risk medical conditions and the importance of preventing flu through vaccination. These partnerships and outreach efforts will continue throughout the 2009-2010 flu season and future flu seasons.  Additional results are forthcoming as the 2009 H1N1 influenza response continues.