We're smack dab in the middle of one of the worse flu seasons in the last two decades, where at least 24 million Americans—and counting—have caught the flu. WastewaterSCAN reports that the majority of sites across the country are measuring "high" for Influenza A (as well as for SARS-CoV-2 and RSV, FYI), and the end is nowhere in sight.
So, of course, it total makes sense (I'm being sarcastic, if it wasn't clear) that the CDC, in its first week with notorious anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. at the helm of the US Department of Health and Human Services, has cancelled its successful "WILD to Mild," campaign promoting flu vaccines. The campaign used ferocious "WILD" animals like tigers and elephants juxtaposed against "mild" animals like kittens and mice, to demonstrate the usefulness of the flu vaccine to lessen flu symptoms, along with the tagline, "A flu vaccine can take flu from WILD to mild." NPR explains:
The news was shared with staff during a meeting on Wednesday, according to two CDC staffers who spoke with NPR on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, and a recording reviewed by NPR.
During the meeting, leadership at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases told CDC staff the Department of Health and Human Services had reviewed the campaign and advised that it would not continue.
Paid media for the campaign ended on February 19, and the website for the campaign has already been removed. You can still see some of the older ads on Facebook and Instagram, like this one from December 2023 featuring an elephant and mouse.
Despite the lies that the anti-vaxxers spew, the flu shot is safe and helps reduce the severity of flu symptoms. It's not too late to get one if you haven't yet! You can even get them at Costco—a company that has been standing firm on its commitment to DEI—without a membership (I just called and checked to make sure). Stay safe and healthy out there, friends!
