HHS Launches Let’s Get Real Campaign to Highlight Facts About Childhood Vaccines and Share Stories from Confident Parents Who Vaccinate Their Kids

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) launched the Let’s Get Real campaign to cut through the noise of misinformation and give parents the balanced information they need about childhood vaccines. The campaign provides verifiable facts so parents can get the information they want to make informed vaccine decisions, and it shares stories from doctors and peers on why most of us rely on vaccines to protect our children. Let’s Get Real also offers tools for health care professionals with pediatric patients.

Vaccines help protect children from diseases, like polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), which used to kill or disable many people. Hib is spread through droplets in the air, through coughs or sneezes, and can cause serious infections in different parts of the body, like the brains and lungs. Hib disease used to be more common in the U.S., but cases have dropped by more than 99% since 1987. Vaccines also help to prevent or lessen the severity of diseases such as whooping cough, which is especially deadly for newborns, and human papillomavirus which millions of Americans, including teens, get every year and can lead to cancer.

“Vaccines are powerful tools in keeping our children safe and healthy,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services, Admiral Rachel L. Levine. “They 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. We need to make sure conversations about vaccines are balanced and factual to ensure our children get the best protection as they grow up.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

, more than nine out of 10 parents ensure their children are up to date on routine vaccinations when they enter kindergarten. Yet, the percentage of U.S. kindergartners with an exemption from at least one vaccine increased in the 2023-2024 school year to 3.3%, the highest percentage ever reported. In the 2019-2020 school year only three states reported vaccination rates below 90%. That sharply increased to 14 states in the 2023-2024 school year.

If parents stop vaccinating their children, preventable diseases typically not seen in the U.S. can come back. Measles, for instance, is extremely infectious, and a potentially very serious illness. Before the measles vaccination program began in 1963, an estimated 3 to 4 million

people got measles in the United States each year – about 48,000 of them were hospitalized and 400-500 died. Those numbers dropped dramatically after widespread measles vaccination and prevention efforts. Despite the success of the measles vaccine, measles cases are increasing again because of declining vaccination rates. In this year alone, there have been 283 cases of measles

in the U.S. reported to the CDC.

“We need to stop this dangerous trend and be more vocal about protecting our children,” said Kaye Hayes, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Infectious Disease and the Director of the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy. “Parents have heard so much misinformation. Many of them are overwhelmed. That’s why I’m excited to share Let’s Get Real. This campaign uses a research-informed approach to support parents, vaccine champions, and health care providers in getting real about childhood vaccines.”

The campaign website offers a robust library of shareable content, such as infographics and videos, for parents and other vaccine champions to use to spread facts about vaccines and show other parents that they believe vaccines are important. Visit letsgetreal.hhs.gov to find credible, engaging, and easy-to-understand, information about vaccine safety, the science behind vaccines, and the recommended childhood immunization schedule. Stay up to date on the campaign and other vaccine news by following @HHSVaccines on X.