CDC, AMA, and Ad Council urge flu vaccinations to educe flu hospitalizations amid COVID-19 concerns

The Ad Council, the American Medical Association (AMA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the CDC Foundation today announced a new effort to encourage more people to get vaccinated against seasonal flu.

While flu activity was unusually low during the 2020-2021 flu season—due largely to COVID-19 mitigation measures like wearing masks, school and work closures, and physical distancing—the threat of flu is likely far greater this year with many of those mitigation measures in decline.

During a severe season, flu has resulted in as many as 41 million illnesses and 710,000 hospitalizations among Americans. The new effort extends the No Time for Flu campaign and introduces #FluFOMO to inspire more people to get a flu vaccine to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.

The No Time for Flu campaign will run nationwide throughout the 2021-2022 flu season, with a particular emphasis on reaching Black and Hispanic communities. The campaign will be paired with #FluFOMO to urge Americans to get a flu shot to avoid missing out on fun moments like spending time with family and friends.

An August 2021 survey by the Ad Council revealed that 30% of Black respondents and 33% of Hispanic respondents were undecided about getting a flu vaccine this season. Black and Hispanic people remain a key focus of the campaign due to longstanding healthcare inequities that have created undue burden and barriers in their communities. These groups remain at a higher risk of getting very sick from the flu, and less likely to get flu vaccinations.

The No Time for Flu and #FluFOMO ads were created pro bono by advertising agency fluent360 and will appear in print, TV, radio, social media, out-of-home, and digital formats nationwide in time and space donated by the media. Inspired by the insight that people are motivated by caring for their loved ones, and that many are juggling more responsibilities than ever this year, the campaign illustrates how getting sick with flu doesn’t just mean feeling ill—it could significantly disrupt the lives of individuals and their families.

CDC recommends that everyone six months and older (with rare exceptions) get a flu vaccine each year—by the end of October, ideally. Flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines can be given at the same time. Each year, CDC and AMA undertake a range of efforts to increase the number of people who receive a flu vaccine. This season those efforts include working with doctor’s offices and pharmacies to provide guidance on giving flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time and supporting community-based efforts to increase vaccination among racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States.