Xavier Becerra United States Secretary of Health and Human Services | Official Website
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced the success of its COVID-19 Vaccination Public Education Campaign, "We Can Do This," which has been credited with saving thousands of lives and billions of dollars. According to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the campaign resulted in an estimated $731.9 billion in societal benefits, with a return of nearly $90 for every $1 spent.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra expressed pride in the campaign's impact, stating, "We now have research to confirm the COVID-19 Public Education Campaign, We Can Do This, was an indispensable part of efforts to vaccinate people and protect them from COVID-19, saving thousands of lives and billions of dollars in the process."
The study revealed that the campaign encouraged 22.3 million people to complete their primary COVID-19 vaccination series, preventing nearly 2.6 million infections and close to 244,000 hospitalizations during the period when the Delta and Omicron variants were prevalent. This led to societal benefits totaling $740.2 billion, while the campaign cost $377 million, resulting in a net benefit of $731.9 billion.
May Malik, Senior Advisor for Public Education Campaigns at HHS, emphasized the importance of public health campaigns in crisis situations, stating, "This research confirms the benefits of public health campaigns as part of a multi-layered response to a public health crisis and to the effort to provide accurate information to the American public."
The success of the "We Can Do This" campaign has not only saved lives but has also provided valuable insights for future public health efforts. Researchers used real-world data to measure the campaign's effects on vaccination behaviors and outcomes, demonstrating the potential return on investment from public education campaigns in addressing public health threats.
The study, conducted by researchers from HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Fors Marsh in Arlington, Virginia, highlights the significant impact of strategic public health campaigns in promoting vaccine confidence and healthy behavior change.
