In response to declining childhood vaccinations and rising infection rates across the U.S., HHS has launched a vaccine education campaign, encouraging parents to make informed healthcare decisions for their children based on more balanced information.
The Let's Get Real campaign aims to "cut through the noise of misinformation" and "provide verifiable facts" to parents while also serving as a resource for healthcare professionals, according to a Dec. 20 news release from HHS.
"[Vaccines] are so successful that most parents rely on them. But this success also means that many parents have never seen some of the diseases that vaccines prevent," HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Rachel Levine, MD, said in the release. "We need to make sure conversations about vaccines are balanced and factual to ensure our children get the best protection as they grow up."
Currently led by Xavier Becerra, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Robert Kennedy Jr. to lead HHS as part of the upcoming administration. Mr. Kennedy has engaged in vaccine safety controversies and conspiracies for almost two decades, though he recently said he is not against vaccinations.
The agency has provided infographics and videos on the Let's Get Real campaign website "for parents and other vaccine champions to use to spread facts about vaccines and show other parents that they believe vaccines are important," the release said.
The website also highlights an "Act, Recommend, Motivate" approach for healthcare providers to help foster "more effective" conversations with parents surrounding vaccines.