NIAM 2026

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National Immunization Awareness Month is in August, giving organizations and coalitions the opportunity to work together to capture the public’s attention on immunizations. This page serves as a convenient guide to posting on social media throughout the month.

Below is a series of post templates from Canva. Free versions of premium Canva subscriptions are available to non-profits.

Directions for graphics and videos:

Graphics and videos are hyperlinked to both Canva templates and ready-to-use PNGs. If you are downloading the ready-to-use graphics and videos, simply save them to your computer and post them on a social media surge day.

If you are using the Canva template, customize it by:

1. Clicking the link

2. Editing the Content

Text: Double-click any text box to edit. Use the top toolbar to change the font, size, and color.
Images: Click an existing photo and delete it, keeping the photo frame intact. From the left sidebar, click
Uploads to add your own pictures or videos, then drag-and-drop them into the frame.
- You may need to edit the length of the audio and text for video content.
Colors: Click on any background shape, line, or illustration, then select the color square in the top menu to change it to your brand colors or a custom palette.

3. Saving and Downloading

Canva auto-saves your progress continuously.
When you are finished, click the Share button in the top-right corner, and then choose Download to save your design as a PDF, PNG, JPG, or MP4.

Getting Ready for NIAM

June and July tasks

NIAM Proclamation

Work with a local lawmaker or your governor’s office to approve and publicize a proclamation recognizing vaccination during National Immunization Awareness Month by using this template:

General NIAM Proclamation

General NIAM Proclamation

Whereas, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared vaccines to be the greatest public health intervention of the 20th century, second only to clean water;

Whereas, diseases such as polio and rubella have been eliminated in this country thanks to vaccines;

Whereas, vaccines have eradicated smallpox;

Whereas, vaccines can prevent cancers caused by Hepatitis B and human papillomavirus, as well as devastating infections that can lead to pneumonia, encephalitis, and life-long disabilities;

Whereas, 95% of children must be vaccinated against measles in order to prevent outbreaks, but the current rate in [STATE/TERRITORY/CITY] is XX%;

Now, therefore, [we/I] [Name(s)] declare the month of August to be National Immunization Awareness Month to ensure [State Residents Name] of all ages have access to science-based information about vaccines.

Letters to the Editor

Line up at least 4 volunteers to place letters to the editor (LTEs) in local papers each week during National Immunization Awareness Month. Use these templates to start them off:

Babies
Children
Adults
Flu

We encourage you to also ask each volunteer to send you a handwritten paragraph from their LTEs. You can use a photo of this paragraph for social media.

Weekly Schedule

Something new for 2026!

This year, NIAM will have the same schedule every week with the same graphic choices for all four weeks. Every week will follow the same schedule:

Letter know it’s Monday

Mondays will feature LTEs published the previous week through
- Email blasts. Include the email in your own Monday email rounds, and ask partners to include them in their newsletters.
- Social media posts. This is where the photos of the handwritten paragraph come in handy. Post those across your social media platforms and include a link to the online LTE in the caption.

VaxMax Wednesday

If it is Wednesday, we post a social media graphic from our templates.
- Hashtags are #AskForVax, #VoicesForVaccines, and #NIAM26

Keepin’ It Reel Thursday

Post a video reel from our templates or from a staff member or volunteer.

That’s it! Three surge days where we all push the message out per week, the same message all month: If you think life is scary, you don’t want to know about VPDs.

Social Media and Video Templates

VPDs Are Scarier

Our social media message this month is all about how much worse getting sick with a vaccine-preventable disease could make our lives.

You can customize these assets with your own branding by following the Canva link. (Have fun by customizing these posts with photos of staff and volunteers!)

Or you can download the ready-to-post assets here.

Post these on Wednesdays!

A scared woman with text indicating that HPV would make things worse

Don’t let HPV be the scary part of growing up. HPV vaccination helps protect against the types of HPV that can lead to certain cancers. So future-you has one less thing to fear. Ask about the HPV vaccine for preteens, teens, and eligible adults. #AskForVax #VoicesForVaccines #NIAM26

Tiny tummies deserve big protection. Rotavirus can bring serious diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration — and nobody wants that plot twist. Ask your child’s doctor about the rotavirus vaccine. #AskForVax #VoicesForVaccines #NIAM26

Measles can spread faster than TikTok trends, and it’s no joke. The MMR vaccine helps protect against measles, mumps, and rubella. Check your family’s vaccine records and ask if you’re up to date. #AskForVax #VoicesForVaccines #NIAM26

Don’t let the flu be the thing that gives you chills. A yearly flu shot helps protect against flu illness and serious complications, so you have one less thing to fear this season. Ask about your flu vaccine before flu season crashes the party. #AskForVax #VoicesForVaccines #NIAM26

Peek-a-boo is cute. Whooping cough? Hard pass. Pertussis can be especially scary for babies, so ask about DTaP and Tdap vaccines to help protect your crew. #AskForVax #VoicesForVaccines #NIAM26

Your calendar has enough surprises. COVID-19 doesn’t need an invite. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about staying up to date with COVID vaccination. #AskForVax #VoicesForVaccines #NIAM26

Monsters under the crib? Manageable. Hib? That’s the scarier addition to the guest list. The Hib vaccine helps protect little ones from serious Hib disease. Ask your pediatric provider if your child is on schedule. #AskForVax #VoicesForVaccines #NIAM26

Jump scares are for movies. Meningitis doesn’t need a cameo. Ask your healthcare provider about meningococcal vaccines, including MenACWY and MenB, and about the protection recommended by age or risk. #AskForVax #VoicesForVaccines #NIAM26

The world is doing the most. Don’t let the flu pile on. A yearly flu shot helps lower the risk of flu illness and serious complications. Ask about your flu vaccine before flu season chooses violence. #AskForVax #VoicesForVaccines #NIAM26

Already mad about the state of the world? Don’t let RSV pile on. Ask your healthcare provider about RSV protection options for babies, pregnant people, and older adults. Because RSV has no business making anyone’s life worse. #AskForVax #VoicesForVaccines #NIAM26

Anger is understandable. Measles is preventable. Ask about the MMR vaccine and make sure your family is up to date. #AskForVax #VoicesForVaccines #NIAM26

We Don’t Scream About VPDs

Videos posted on Thursday to Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok will echo our social media messages about how much worse getting sick with a vaccine-preventable disease could make our lives.

You can customize our assets with your own branding by following the Canva link for each video. (Have fun by customizing these posts with videos of staff and volunteers!)

Or you can download the ready-to-post assets here.

You can also make your own videos and use the hashtags #AskForVax and #NIAM26

Post these on Thursdays.