As Flu Cases Surge, CDC Pulls Vaccine Ad Campaign After Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Demands Ads Talk More About Risks

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention killed a campaign that promotes seasonal flu shots. CDC staffers were told in a meeting with National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases representatives that the campaign would not continue.

The “Wild to Mild” flu vaccination campaign aimed to encourage people to get the flu vaccine to tame their symptoms of illness. The ads used animals as an analogy—a lion vs. a kitten and a teddy vs. a grizzly bear—for the lowered threat of the flu virus once a person is vaccinated.

“Flu can be wild. But a flu vaccine can shield both you and your cub from flu’s more serious symptoms,” said one of the ads, aimed at pregnant people. “Ask your health care provider about a flu shot during your pregnancy to protect your baby after birth — when they’re too young to be vaccinated.”

“The CDC campaign is a creative and effective way of conveying an extremely important public health message about ‘partial protection’ vs. ‘complete prevention’ of disease,” Marla Dalton, the executive director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, told NPR.

The Department of Health and Human Services assistant secretary for public affairs informed the CDC that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wanted advertisements that promote the idea of “informed consent” in vaccine decision-making because people should be notified of all the risks and benefits of any medical intervention they receive.

HHS ordered the CDC to indefinitely postpone a meeting of its vaccine advisory committee, which Kennedy has criticized in the past, scheduled for Feb. 26 and Feb. 28.

During Kennedy’s confirmation hearings, several senators expressed concern about his positions on vaccines as he has generated substantial income from challenging the safety of vaccines through paid speeches, books, and his former position as founder and chair of Children’s Health Defense. Former Senate leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) was the only Republican to vote against Kennedy in his confirmation hearing. During his hearing, Kennedy refused to distance himself from past claims that autism rates and vaccines are connected.