BETHESDA, Md.—This May, the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Eye Institute (NEI) has announced a new component of its annual “Healthy Vision Month.” The Institute has launched a designated website for eyecare professionals and members of the public to use as a resource for prewritten content that can be shared on social media sites, websites, blogs and newsletters communicating the importance of eye health.

The new website encourages users to spread the word  with a variety of prepared content, including infocards about eye health and safety that can be posted to Facebook pages and Twitter feeds; videos that can be shared or embedded on websites and blogs; drop-in articles and web banners that can be posted on sites and blogs; and information that can be sent through listservs or newsletters.

The site also provides a list of sample posts for Facebook and Twitter, such as:

It's Healthy Vision Month! Celebrate with the @nehep by making your vision a priority. Learn what steps you can take today to preserve your sight tomorrow by visiting http://go.usa.gov/kZjB

for Facebook, and

Trouble reading this? Schedule an eye exam! Learn about dilated eye exams and how to protect your vision: http://go.usa.gov/kZjQ #HVM2014

for Twitter.

NEI is asking that Facebook posts be tagged with “@nehep” and Tweets be shared using the hashtag, #HVM2014.

“We hope you’ll participate in Healthy Vision Month! Using [these] tools and resources, we can empower Americans to make their eye health a priority and educate them about steps they can take to protect their vision,” said NEI. For more information on how to support Healthy Vision Month, visit the new website at nei.nih.gov/hvm.