EXC: HHS Spending $350 Million To ‘Correct’ American ‘Vaccine Hesitancy & Misinformation’

An exclusive review of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants reveal nearly $350 million in taxpayer funds funneled into vaccine promotion campaigns to combat “misinformation” and “vaccine hesitancy.”

Many of these grants - which cover 40 states and 7 territories - focus on promoting vaccine use among children. Despite HHS removing the Hepatitis B vaccine from the children’s immunization schedule, million-dollar grants have gone towards promoting this vaccine in children.

In plain terms: public money is being used to change what Americans think. Skepticism itself is treated as a public health threat.

The 54 grants totaling $338.36 million began on July 1st 2025 and are slated to end June 30th, 2030.

Universal Vaccines

One state, Maine, is using the funds to roll out a Universal Adult Immunization program.

“A significant component of MIP’s future efforts involves developing a universal adult immunization program, ensuring equitable vaccine access for individuals over 19 while reducing healthcare costs,” summarizes the Maine grant. “Through sustained funding, MIP aims to safeguard public health by ensuring vaccine accessibility, countering misinformation, and maintaining high immunization rates across Maine,” it continues.

Children Are the Target

A major share of the funding focuses on child vaccination campaigns, including school-linked outreach and parent-directed messaging. Even more striking: several programs explicitly promote Hepatitis B vaccines for children, pouring millions into awareness and compliance campaigns.

Some grants are quite explicit: “increased access to vaccines for eligible children.”

Others point to misinformation and vaccine hesitancy as responsible for low childhood vaccination rates, pointing to public education campaigns as a solution:

“Despite progress in childhood immunization rates—exceeding the 95% herd immunity threshold as of the 2023–2024 school year—barriers such as misinformation, vaccine hesitancy, and logistical constraints persist. MIP’s strategic objectives focus on expanding vaccine access, improving immunization rates, reducing misinformation, and supporting communities with lower vaccination rates. Key strategies include bolstering program infrastructure, expanding community outreach, implementing targeted public education campaigns, and fostering strong collaborations with healthcare providers and stakeholders.”

In a glaring rebuke of HHS’s recent Hepatitis B vaccine schedule change, the department’s own dollars are being used to promote RSV and hepatitis B vaccine:

“Initiatives include expanding the vaccine replacement model to increase RSV and hepatitis B vaccinations at birthing hospitals, strengthening school immunization efforts through the Start Smart Back to School campaign.”

Public Health or Public Messaging?

Instead of addressing legitimate questions about risk, necessity, or changing guidance, these programs seek to “build trust” by flooding communities with approved messaging. Little clarity is provided to understand who these authoritative “experts” are.

One state is seeking to do the following:

“Increase vaccine access. Improve vaccination equity. Promote vaccine confidence and demand. […] Enhance vaccination response readiness.”

In North Dakota, health officials are seeking to “improve vaccine confidence amongst North Dakotans of all ages. This initiative is designed to harness evidence-based strategies and foster impactful partnerships.”

In Kentucky, health officials are setting out to combat vaccine “misinformation”:

“Important work remains to improve vaccination confidence, demand, and access across the lifespan. Although children’s access to vaccines has improved overall in Kentucky, challenges persist among adolescent and adult populations, as evidenced by immunization rates that remain below the national average. Many of these challenges are fueled by the public’s lack of trust in vaccines, which is further compounded by misinformation campaigns provided from a variety of readily available sources.”

Other states are using a similar approach:

“Improving vaccination equity using data to identify populations of focus, implement strategies, and evaluate interventions. Promoting vaccine confidence and demand through partnerships with trusted messengers, disseminating inclusive and accessible education materials, and quelling mis- and disinformation surrounding vaccines.”

Some states are pursuing “strategic partnerships” with “healthcare providers, pharmacies, community vaccinators, and educational institutions”:

“Additionally, targeted efforts will be made to address vaccine disparities in underserved communities, including Amish populations and Native American tribes, by working with trusted healthcare partners. The program will employ evidence-based approaches to improve vaccination rates, including reminder recall campaigns, provider assessment reports, and public awareness initiatives. Through strategic partnerships with healthcare providers, pharmacies, community vaccinators, and educational institutions, IDOH aims to increase vaccine access points and ensure compliance with immunization requirements.”

The Bottom Line

Governments have always promoted vaccines. What’s new is the scale—and the premise.

Nearly $350 million is being spent not on medicine, but on persuasion. Not on care, but on compliance. Not on transparency, but on messaging—much of it aimed at children.

If public health officials are confident in their case, they shouldn’t need to spend hundreds of millions silencing doubt.

Full List of States

States receiving pro-vaccine funds: CA, TX, NY, FL, PA, HI, GA, NC, MI, IL, LA, AL, MA, MD, MO, IN, TN, VA, NJ, AZ, KS, UT, IA, CT, AR, MS, OR, CO, KY, MN, WY, ND, VT, WV, MT,ME, NH, NE, AK, & RI

Territories receiving pro-vaccine funds: Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, Micronesia, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Marshall Islands, & Palau