Most Americans Won't Get Vaccinated as Flu, COVID Season Looms: Survey

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Most Americans don’t plan to get vaccinated against the flu or COVID-19 this season, a new survey has found.

Fewer than two in five U.S. adults (38%) say they will definitely get a flu jab, and only one in four (26%) say they’ll get the updated COVID vaccine, according to a survey released Wednesday by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

This lack of interest extends to those eligible for an RSV vaccine (21%) and pneumococcal vaccine (24%), the survey found.

“Last flu season, an estimated 25,000 people in the U.S. died from flu or related complications and 75,000 from COVID-19 in 2023, demonstrating how dangerous these diseases can be,” U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a news release.

This appears to be driven by a lack of concern. Few U.S. adults are worried about themselves or a family member becoming infected with flu (17%), COVID-19 (20%), RSV (16%) or pneumococcal disease (17%).

Cohen and other leading health experts got vaccinated at an onside flu vaccine clinic following a press conference announcing the results of the NFID survey.

“We can protect ourselves and those we care about by getting updated vaccines to reduce the risk of serious illness from flu and COVID-19 and do more of the things we enjoy,” Cohen said. “I encourage everyone 6 months and older to get an annual flu vaccine and the updated COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks.”

Interest in vaccination is even lower this season than last, in which less than half (45%) of adults got a flu vaccine, according to CDC data.

Worse, only 46% of adults with a chronic health condition got the flu vaccine last season, the CDC said.

“The low vaccination rates among those with chronic health conditions are of particular concern because they are more likely to develop serious and even life-threatening complications from respiratory infections,” said Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr., medical director of the NFID.

Unfortunately, it appears to take catching the flu to make one want the flu vaccine.

Among U.S. adults who were diagnosed with the flu in the last two years, nearly 72% say they will likely get the flu jab, NFID survey results show.

The 2023-2024 flu season in the United States was moderately severe, with an estimated 41 million illnesses, 490,000 hospitalizations and 25,000 flu-related deaths, according to new CDC data.

Many people who don’t plan to get vaccinated say they’re worried about potential side effects or have a general distrust of vaccines, the NFID survey found.

“We must build trust by enhancing our support for people in using science and evidence to make personally appropriate decisions regarding vaccines and other health choices,” Dr. Reed Tuckson, cofounder of the Black Coalition Against COVID, said in an NFID news release.

“The pandemic taught us that it is possible to close some of the gaps in immunization rates among communities of color, but we still have a long way to go,” Tuckson added. “In addition to evidence-based messaging, we know that guidance from familiar, trusted healthcare professionals working with minority communities is essential to building vaccine confidence.”

More information

Kaiser Permanente has more about seasonal vaccines.

SOURCE: National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, news release, Sept. 25, 2024