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While the basic information about flu vaccination remains on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, information campaigns that promoted flu vaccination to the general public are absent, at least temporarily, from other online and physical sites, according to a recent report from the National Public Radio (NPR), who received information from current CDC staff. Medscape Medical News was not able to independently verify this information.

According to CDC staff, who spoke to NPR under the condition of anonymity, the agency was asked to pull a recent publicity campaign called “Wild to Mild” that emphasized the benefits of the flu vaccine, including the potential for less severe illness even if one does get the flu. The CDC’s website still includes information about the campaign in the form of a press release about its launch in 2023.

In the future, the CDC may be asked to develop vaccination ads that focus on informed consent, according to further anonymous reports from CDC staff to the website, STAT.

Flu vaccination campaigns such as the CDC’s Wild to Mild are designed to translate science into easily understood messages that help people make informed decisions about vaccination, said Jeff Goad, PharmD, MPH, president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), in an interview. 

“Over the years, CDC and others, including NFID, have created new flu campaigns to stay contemporary and relevant to many different groups of people,” said Goad, a professor of pharmacy practice at Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California. That CDC has discontinued the Wild to Mild campaign is unfortunate, given that the United States is experiencing the most severe flu season since 2017-2018, he said. 

The campaign recommended that “if you haven't gotten your flu shot yet, it’s not too late,” said Goad. The flu vaccine can still reduce the risk for serious complications from flu, such as hospitalization and death, taking the disease from wild to mild, he said. 

“Vaccines are designed to stimulate the body to make a protective immune response,” Goad told Medscape. “Because people are different, their health and past exposures may mean that a vaccine for an infection such as COVID-19 or influenza may result in complete or partial protection,” he noted. “Unfortunately, when people get vaccinated for pneumonia, for example, and still get a mild case, they think their vaccine failed. What campaigns like Wild to Mild stress is that your vaccine is working to keep you out of the hospital and potentially dying from the disease,” Goad added. 

Looking ahead to possible future campaigns, “The focus of any informed consent process is explaining the risks and benefits,” Goad told Medscape. “The CDC makes available, and is the standard of care, a Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) to be given before vaccination, which clearly explains the risks and benefits of that specific vaccine,” he said. “Vaccine campaigns help populations of people understand the need for vaccines, and the CDC’s Vaccine Information Statements help individuals, with their healthcare professional, make informed decisions about getting vaccinated, he said. 

Messaging Changes and Patient Perceptions

Changing the angle on advertising for currently recommended vaccines may have a negative impact on vaccination rates, said Shirin A. Mazumder, MD, an infectious diseases specialist in Memphis, Tennessee, in an interview.

Informed consent ensures that patients understand the risks and benefits of any type of medical treatment offered to them, and many clinicians already discuss issues related to informed consent before administering any vaccines, Mazumder said.

“A shift in the messaging away from the benefit of vaccines has the potential to affect public perception and lead to an increase in vaccine preventable illnesses and deaths in a population where vaccine uptake for flu and other respiratory viruses is already low,” she said.

“Creating a balanced message that is easy for the general public to understand is crucial for any campaign, but especially one that centers around public health,” said Mazumder. Such campaigns should encourage patients to ask their healthcare providers to help them interpret the information, which should be accurate and rooted in scientific data, and how it applies to their specific healthcare needs, she said.

Making patients aware of the benefits and potential risks of any medical treatment, including vaccinations, is important for any public health campaign, Mazumder told Medscape Medical News. With regard to flu, data show that “for the majority of the population, the benefits of the flu vaccine far outweigh the risks,” she said. “Although every flu season is different, a substantial portion of the population is affected every year,” she added. Those at increased risk, including the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals who are immunocompromised or have underlying medical conditions, should be aware of the potential for flu-related complications and the importance of getting vaccinated to help prevent negative flu-related outcomes, she said.

View from the Clinic

“We are currently in the midst of one of the worst flu seasons in 15 years,” Mazumder told Medscape Medical News. Data on flu activity from the CDC from February 8, 2025, showed that more than 50,000 patients were hospitalized, she noted.

“We have substantial data regarding the safety and efficacy of not only the flu vaccine, but other vaccines aimed to protect against additional respiratory viruses, and it is crucial for medical professionals to continue to share scientific data with our patients to help them make the best decisions for their healthcare,” Mazumder said.