L.A. Care’s Chief Medical Officer Ready to Share Facts about the Vaccine
LOS ANGELES – Public health officials are concerned that COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy could carry over into flu season, and that could create an even greater public health crisis. COVID-19 safety measures like masking and social distancing helped lower flu activity last season, but with businesses and schools opening this fall, the risk is heightened for the coming flu season. That means it is more important than ever to get vaccinated against the flu.
L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest publicly operated health plan in the country, has launched its 2021 Fight the Flu campaign.
“Health experts were worried about a COVID-19 and flu ‘twindemic’ last season. Thankfully, it didn’t happen, but it very well could this season,” said Richard Seidman, MD, MPH, L.A. Care Chief Medical Officer. “It would be a needless tragedy if it were to happen since there are effective, life-saving vaccines for both the flu and COVID-19.”
The L.A. Care 2021 Fight the Flu campaign will include 11 free countywide flu clinics open to the public from September 30 through November 5. We are also encouraging members to get flu shots from their primary care physician’s office or local pharmacies which, like the clinics, are at no cost to the member.
The campaign also includes flu shot reminders to members via newsletter articles, post cards, and on-hold call messages. L.A. Care’s high-risk dual eligible members will receive informational calls from our pharmacy team and mailings reminding them of a $25 incentive gift card they can receive for getting the flu shot. There will also be a robust social media campaign directed at everyone in Los Angeles County. The L.A. Care Fight the Flu web page will serve as a hub for all flu-related information, and will house our myth buster video.
“The myth buster vaccine video provides facts about the vaccine’s safety and efficacy in an easy to understand format,” said Seidman. “There is so much misinformation about both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines, that we want to do all we can to give people the truth.”
L.A. Care providers will receive a newsletter and fax asking them to remind their patients about the importance of getting a flu shot and strategies for vaccine promotion, with details about the clinics. L.A. Care will make all provider materials available through the updated COVID-19 and Flu Resources and Tools webpage.
The Fight the Flu campaign will continue into the spring of 2022. Dr. Seidman and other L.A. Care physicians are available now to speak about the importance of the flu vaccine during the pandemic.