The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said that it is launching a campaign to boost COVID-19, influenza, and RSV vaccines ahead of the fall and winter months.
“Respiratory illness from flu, COVID-19, and RSV viruses usually surge during colder weather and can cause severe disease, hospitalization, and even death,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Jeffery Nesbit in a statement.
While the agency did not provide specific data on the vaccines, Nesbit added that HHS’s goal for the coming months is to “increase confidence in vaccines that play an important role in preventing severe illness from these viruses and to provide the information that the American people need to make the decision to get vaccinated this fall and winter.”
The campaign, titled “Risk Less. Do More,” will use paid advertising and “media coverage” on television, social media, radio, print, and other platforms, it said. The federal agency will also work with local and state health agencies and organizations “to ensure all audiences have access to information from sources they trust,” the news release continued to say.
“The campaign will reach all audiences, with a particular focus on those at highest risk, including older Americans and people who may have less access to health care information and support,” the release continued.
The reason for the campaign, the agency said, is because influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 caused the hospitalizations of 800,000 people during a six-month period last fall and winter.
Without vaccines, it added, “The risk of serious illness remains highest in certain populations, including adults ages 65 and older, residents of long-term care facilities, pregnant people, and those living in rural areas.”
Two COVID-19 variants, KP.3 and KP.3.1.1 account for more than half of all U.S. cases, separate data show. A spokesperson for the CDC told The Epoch Times earlier this month that there is no evidence that the variants are causing more severe disease, and they are “very similar” to other strains circulating around the United States.
“At this time, we anticipate that COVID-19 treatments and vaccines will continue to work against all circulating variants,” the CDC spokesperson said, adding that the health agency is monitoring the severity of variants and whether vaccines are effective.
The vaccine campaign also comes as mRNA vaccine makers Pfizer and BioNTech said last week that their combined flu and COVID-19 vaccine faltered in a late-stage trial, finding the combination shot failed to meet one of the study’s two main goals and they are evaluating the next steps.
The drugmakers said on Aug. 15 that the Phase 3 trial showed the vaccine elicited a robust influenza A immune response, compared to a standard flu vaccine, but showed weaker results against the influenza B strain.
The formulation showed similar responses against SARS-CoV-2 as the companies’ COVID-19 vaccine. The drugmakers added that no safety issues with the combination vaccine have been identified.
