Popular Flu Vaccine Educational Campaign Ending at CDC

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Unconfirmed reports suggest that a popular flu vaccine educational campaign has come to an end.

NPR reports that it has spoken with two anonymous sources at the CDC who claim that the agency has been advised to end the Wild to Mild campaign.¹ According to the sources, paid media for the campaign ended on Wednesday and the campaign’s website was temporarily taken down.

As of Friday morning, the website is up and active. However, the site shows details from the campaign from its initial launch in 2023, as opposed to the updated 2024 which had reportedly been active up until Wednesday.

Campaign imagery would show two different animals, such as a lion and a house cat. The messaging said that getting a flu was like reducing the severity of the illness from a lion to a house cat (or other similar animal comparisons).

According to NPR’s report, leadership at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases reviewed the campaign and made the decision not to continue. The report does not a cite a specific reason for the campaign’s conclusion.

The NPR report notes that the decision was made during Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first full week as the head of HHS. Kennedy has previously criticized aspects of vaccines and has been described as being anti-vax. However, Kennedy denies being anti-vax. During his confirmation hearings, he stated that he would make decisions based on science and research.

In a statement to NPR, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said, “Unfortunately, officials inside the CDC who are averse to Secretary Kennedy and President Trump's agenda seem to be intentionally falsifying and misrepresenting guidance they receive."

The current Wild to Mild website (dated September, 2023),² explains, “The Wild to Mild campaign is based on consumer research showing that many people believe flu vaccination doesn't work because of first or second-hand experience where vaccination may not have prevented illness. Flu vaccine varies in how well it works. For many years, CDC measured vaccine effectiveness according to how well it prevented illness that required medical treatment. In recent years, however, CDC has expanded its vaccine effectiveness work to include looking at how well flu vaccine works at preventing serious outcomes, like emergency department visits and hospitalizations. This work has contributed to a strong and growing body of evidence that flu vaccination reduces the risk of serious outcomes in people who get vaccinated but still get sick. The Wild to Mild campaign visually shows how flu vaccination can tame flu illness from wild to mild by showing a wild animal, like a tiger, juxtaposed against a more domesticated animal or toy like a kitten. Other examples include a bear with a teddy bear and a shark with a goldfish.”

Sources

1. Stone, Will. Trump Administration Yanks CDC Flu Vaccine Campaign. NPR. February 20, 2025. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/02/19/nx-s1-5302906/cdc-flu-vaccine-campaign-terminated
2. New Wild to Mild Campaign Drives Key Message to Tame Flu and Reset Expectations. CDC. September 22, 2023. Accessed February 21, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/whats-new/2023-2024-new-campaign-wild-to-mild.html