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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                                MARCH 20, 2026      |  The Indian Eye 22

                    NYC Health Department Launches $1

             Million Media Campaign, “Ask Questions,

                                         Get Answers, Vaccinate”

             Campaign Aims to Address Vaccination Delays and Disparities, Encouraging Parents to Seek Reliable

                               Information From Doctors to Protect Children From Preventable Diseases

            OUR BUREAU

            NEW YORK, NY
                  he NYC Health Department
                  has launched a media cam-
            Tpaign encouraging parents and
            caregivers to protect their children
            from preventable diseases by vacci-
            nating their kids. The campaign reas-
            sures New York City families that it is
            normal to have questions about vac-
            cines and urges them to seek reliable
            information from their child’s doctor.
            Since 1994, childhood vaccination in
            the  U.S. has  prevented over  508  ill-
            nesses, 32 million hospitalizations,
            and saved 1.1 million lives.
                This  campaign  comes  when  on-  ter Martin. “It is deeply concerning to   The NYC Health Department is  and people who have compromised
            time vaccination among the young-  see low vaccination coverage among   investing $1 million into a 4-week cam-  immune systems.
            est New Yorkers continues to be low.  our youngest and most vulnerable   paign, “Ask Questions, Get Answers,   As the federal administration
            Current data shows approximately  children, especially as attacks on vac-  Vaccinate.” Ads will be placed across  weakens vaccination recommenda-
            one-in-three  two-year-olds  in  NYC  cination by the federal government   television, radio, print news, LinkNYC  tions, the NYC Health Department
            have not received all doses of seven  sow confusion for parents nationwide.   kiosks, and transportation hubs, fo-  recommends New Yorkers and their
            recommended vaccines. By the time  As the city’s doctor, I strongly encour-  cusing on neighborhoods with low  health care providers follow the
            they start kindergarten, more than  age New York City parents to pro-  vaccination rates. Health care provid-  American Academy of Pediatrics
            90 percent of children in NYC have  tect their kids from highly infectious   ers across New York City who are part  (AAP) 2026 childhood and adoles-
            received the vaccines required for  preventable diseases that can cause   of the Vaccines for Children (VFC)  cent immunization schedules. There is
            school, but delays in early childhood  serious illness, long term health com-  program, a federally-funded that en-  no new data that supports the recent
            vaccination leave younger children  plications, and even death. Like many   sures  children  can  access  necessary  changes to the Centers for Disease
            susceptible to preventable diseases at  health matters, it is understandable to   vaccines free of cost, will also be pro-  Control and Prevention’s immuniza-
            ages when they may be most likely to  have questions about immunizations,   vided posters and handouts to share  tion schedules. By contrast, the AAP
            experience severe complications.   and I recommend parents talk with   with families. In addition, to further  childhood and adolescent immuni-
                “The truth about childhood vac-  their  child’s  doctor  for  trusted  guid-  support parents and caregivers, the  zation schedules continue to recom-
            cines is that they save 4 million lives  ance.”                     NYC Health Department launched  mend immunizations based on rigor-
            per year by presenting safe and viable   “At a time when widespread   a  new webpage to  accompany the  ous research and the specific disease
            solutions to some of the most severe  misinformation is causing confusion   campaign. The webpage provides de-  risks and health care delivery context
            public health issues,” said NYC Depu-  and distrust for families, it’s criti-  tailed answers to common questions  in the U.S.
            ty Mayor for Health and Human Ser-  cal that parents  know that they  can   about vaccines and includes links to   All  New  York  City  children
            vices Dr. Helen Arteaga. “As misin-  turn to professionals for clear, evi-  other trusted vaccination resources.  must receive certain vaccinations,
            formation becomes more widespread,  dence-based guidance,” said Council                               including  DTaP (diphtheria,  teta-
            it is imperative that we urge families to  Member Lynn Schulman, Chair of the   Vaccination Coverage Data   nus,  acellular  pertussis),  poliovirus,
            ask their physicians for answers about  Health Committee. “Vaccines are one   Updated twice each year, the  MMR (measles, mumps, rubella),
            the  safety  and  efficacy  of  vaccines  of the most powerful tools we have to   NYC Childhood Vaccination Data  varicella (chickenpox), hepatitis B,
            that’s based on science, not politics.  protect children and keep our com-  Explorer provides estimated percent-  Hib  (Haemophilus  influenzae  type
            This campaign is our commitment to  munities healthy. I fully support and   ages of New York City children who  b), and PCV (pneumococcus) to at-
            ensuring parents have the information  applaud the New York City Health   have received recommended vaccines  tend school, day care, and summer
            necessary to protect the health and  Department for investing in outreach   and breaks down the data by race and  camp in NYC. Vaccination against flu
            safety of one of New York’s most at-  that meets families where they are and   ethnicity, borough, and ZIP code.    is also required to attend day care in
            risk populations--our children.”   addresses the disparities in vaccina-  While coverage has remained rel-  NYC.  Health  care  providers  should
                “Vaccines have saved millions of  tions rates we continue to see across   atively steady over the past five years,  discuss with parents the importance
            lives and are one of the greatest public  our city. Every child in New York de-  high rates of vaccination are needed  of vaccinating their children on time
            health achievements in history,” said  serves to be protected from prevent-  to protect our communities, including  to ensure the best protection against
            NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alis-  able diseases!”                  children too young to be vaccinated  serious preventable illness.

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