August is National Immunization Awareness Month, a time for organizations and coalitions to join forces in raising public awareness about the importance of vaccines.
Week 1: Introduction to NIAM
Friday, August 1st
Trends come and go, but vaccines keep doing what they’ve always done: protecting us from diseases that used to cause serious harm. They don’t need our hype.
#NIAM2025
Saturday, August 2nd
When you talk about someone who becomes brain injured from measles encephalitis, you’re talking about a very complex situation.
Week 2: Proof Positive (Vaccines Work)
Monday, August 4th
Highlighting Dr. Maurice Hilleman as a notable American scientist.
It’s #NationalImmunizationAwarenessMonth! Did you know that Dr. Maurice Hilleman, an American scientist born in 1919, is credited with saving 8 million lives every year? Check out this clip from the short film, “Maurice Hilleman: The Man behind the Science,” to learn why he felt he was lucky to be raised on a farm in Montana.
Watch the full film on the Vaccine Makers Project YouTube channel:
https://tinyurl.com/nk8h2a4j
Tuesday, August 5th
Being informed about vaccines means knowing that ingredients like gelatin and aluminum aren’t scary—they’re there for specific, science-based reasons. Knowledge beats worry every time.
#NIAM2025
Wednesday, August 6th
Dr. Katalin Karikó stands up for science, truth, and public health when it matters most. That’s the kind of courage that saves lives. Who out there is a public health champion to you?
#NIAM2025
Thursday, August 7th
Vaccines protect our pets from serious diseases like rabies, parvovirus, and feline leukemia. Keeping them healthy keeps our families complete.
#NIAM2025
Friday, August 8th
The same technology that protects us from infectious diseases is now being designed to fight cancer. Vaccines keep fighting to make us healthier and healthier.
#NIAM2025
Week 3: The Pro-Vaccine Majority
Monday, August 11th
While debates make the news, kindergarten enrollment forms tell a different story. Parents are choosing protection, and they’re doing it consistently.
#NIAM2025
Thursday, August 14th
Before this year’s measles outbreak, some journalists tried to warn the public about its dangers. Liz Szabo was one of them, and she continues to regularly share great information about vaccines.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-health/measles-infection-symptoms-longterm-risks-rcna138583 #NIAM2025
Friday, August 15th
The science behind vaccines is settled, but the policies that protect access to them need ongoing support. That’s where advocacy makes a real difference.
#NIAM2025
Saturday, August 16th
“I was surprised that it was really that thorough.”
Sonja participated in an RSV vaccine trial. Though it wasn’t the vaccine that went to market, she ended up getting that vaccine because she believed in the scientific process.
#NIAM2025
Week 4: The State of Play
Tuesday, August 19th
Pregnancy puts you at higher risk from certain infections, even if you’ve always been healthy before. Vaccines step in to provide the protection your body might not be able to give on its own.
#NIAM2025
Wednesday, August 20th
Pertussis, hep A, and meningitis still occasionally find their way into our communities. The difference between an outbreak affecting you or passing you by? Being up to date on vaccines.
#NIAM2025
Thursday, August 20th
Hepatitis B can affect anyone, but universal vaccination means no one has to wonder if they’re protected. Protect everyone from birth, and we can eliminate this disease entirely.
#NIAM2025
Friday, August 22nd
We’re asking: Who do you go home to that makes your vaccination decision really matter?
Maybe it’s your mom on immunosuppressants, your kid with a transplant, or your partner fighting cancer. When you vaccinate, you’re protecting their life. Who comes to mind for you?
Saturday, August 24th
“I felt like I was 90 years old, just a frail as anything… and [strength] slowly came back as the radiation left my system.”
Dean talks about his sudden HPV cancer experience at a fairly young age, and why you should get the vaccine. #NIAM2025
Week 5: The Difference THIS YEAR
Monday, August 25th
Through organizations like The Task Force Global Health, America has been at the forefront of getting vaccines to kids worldwide. That work has saved millions of lives, and is something to be proud of.
#NIAM2025
Tuesday, August 26th
The first generation to grow up with the HPV vaccine is already proving what we had hoped: this is cancer prevention. That’s daughters, sisters, and friends who get to live full lives.
https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/hpv-vaccines-help-reduce-us-cervical-cancer-deaths-62 #NIAM2025
Wednesday, August 27th
Vaccines turned “outbreak” from a word that emptied schools into just another thing kids learn about in health class. They don’t need a real life example.
#NIAM2025
Friday, August 29th
The most life-saving vaccines of 2025-26 will probably be the flu and COVID shots. Yet they’re the ones people debate getting every single year. Let’s give them the credit they deserve.
#NIAM2025
Saturday, August 30th
Happy Birthday to Dr. Maurice Hilleman, born on this day in 1919! Have you heard of him? Even if you don’t know who he is, he has probably affected your life. Dr. Hilleman was one of the greatest scientists the world has known, but he did his work out of the limelight.
Visit www.HillemanFilm.com to learn more. #NIAM2025
Sunday, August 31st
Thank you all for a wonderful #NIAM2025 🙌
Vaccines protect us all the time, so we’ll keep sharing more about them long after August. But to end the month, here is the team that keeps us going all year round!