The California Immunization Coalition (CIC) recently launched an immunization campaign – in partnership with The Community, a local San Francisco Advertising Agency – with the goal of finding ways anyone can help spread the message and encourage more people to get their flu shot.

The idea is called “FluDropped” and it uses the AirDrop feature on an iPhone to spread the message about the flu vaccination in the same way the flu is spread: through the air and by proximity. Airdrop is a feature that lets you share media with anyone who is close enough. Much like the flu.

“Way too many people don’t get a shot because they believe they won’t be infected. This campaign demonstrates that you could be infected at any time. So, if you do receive the message, it means you’re close enough to be exposed to and get the flu,” says Catherine Flores-Martin, Executive Director, California Immunization Coalition.

Since National Flu Immunization Week (December 2 to 6), street teams have been fludropping random commuters in high risk places like BART and Muni with the hope of encouraging as many people as possible to not only share the message forward but also get their flu shot. The AirDropped image being passed around shows a man sneezing and says “If you’re close enough to get this, you’re close enough to get the flu.” The image also asks people to pass the message along and visit http://FluDropped.com to find a flu shot near them. The California Immunization Coalition and The Community wants to create an ‘epidemic that can save lives’ and will be partnering with medical school and public health students to keep the message going during flu season—which goes all the way to April, peaking around January.

Check out the campaign at FluDropped.comFor more information, contact Catherine Martin or Kamrynn Saylor at CIC.