CDC Rolls Out ‘Wild To Mild’ Flu Shot Campaign To Reach Vaccine-Hesitant

The CDC launched a new digital campaign to encourage the vaccine-hesitant to get a flu shot to merely “tame” symptoms.

The number of Americans willing to roll up their sleeves to get a flu shot declined during the pandemic, as many who received the vaccine appeared to get sick anyway, and concerns grew over potential side effects.

In response to dwindling numbers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday launched a new digital ad campaign it hopes will encourage the vaccine-hesitant to get the shot, even if breakthrough infections occur.

The agency’s new messaging is simple: The flu shot won’t prevent a person from getting sick but can “tame” wild flu symptoms into mild flu symptoms in those who get vaccinated but still get sick.

The “Wild to Mild” campaign is part of the agency’s efforts to rebrand expectations about what yearly influenza vaccines can and can’t do and provides infographics, animated images, social media marketing materials, and other online resources people can use to encourage their “friends, loved ones, and followers on social media” to get vaccinated. The campaign materials feature endearing graphics with two opposing animals, such as a fierce lion and a kitten, a grizzly bear and teddy bear, and a mean gorilla and stuffed monkey, to convey its message.

More