Hospitalization and outpatient data point to significant influenza activity across the United States. As of mid-January, influenza alone has resulted in 16 million illnesses, 190,000 hospitalizations, and 8,300 deaths, according to the CDC. Meanwhile, COVID-19 detection in wastewater is at high levels, and hospitalizations from COVID, which are at low levels at present, are increasing. RSV had already been increasing from November through mid-January, adding to the pressure on health care facilities around the country. Meanwhile, misinformation and cultural trends that buck public health norms continue to build ambivalence around the vaccines that prevent severe illness and death from these three respiratory diseases. When patients are unsure about the utility of vaccines, they may forgo them; among migrant and immigrant communities that already struggle to access health care, patients may not make the extra effort to get vaccinated. Yet, vaccines, including those for RSV, influenza, and COVID, are safe and important public health measures that can save lives. Clinicians have a wealth of tools to build connection and trust, provide timely reminders, and open the conversation around vaccination, to ensure our communities have trusted information to make informed choices.

To assist clinicians serving migrant and immigrant families, Migrant Clinicians Network launched two newly updated information hubs. Our Respiratory Disease and COVID Information Hub hosts dozens of new flyers, info sheets, posters, and more on RSV, influenza, COVID, and more. Our Vaccination Information Hub is a one-stop shop for all your favorite resources from MCN and partners to assist migrant and immigrant patients on making the important choice to vaccinate.
 

Both hubs feature dozens of resources developed for the current respiratory disease season. The Vaccine Information Hub is organized by clinician resources, patient-facing resources, and community resources. The Respiratory Disease and COVID Information Hub features sections on mental health and well-being, patient resources, community engagement, respirators and masks, guidance for employers, ventilation, tools against misinformation, plus information specifically on long COVID.

Here are a few new resources featured on our new Information Hubs. These resources were part of a US Department of Health and Human Service’s past campaign entitled “Risk Less. Do More.” and was last updated on January 17, 2025.