A new survey finds a growing number of U.S. adults are hesitant to get the recommended vaccines this fall.
The survey, which involved 1,006 people, found that only 43% of respondents have received or plan to get a Covid vaccine.
Only a slight majority (56%) of adults said they had gotten or were planning to get a flu vaccine this fall.
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The survey also found that 37% of people who got vaccinated in previous years are not planning to get vaccinated this season.
A new survey finds a growing number of U.S. adults are hesitant to get the recommended vaccines this fall. (iStock)
About one-third of respondents also said they didn’t think they needed the vaccines mentioned in the survey — flu, COVID, RSV or pneumococcal pneumonia.
Vaccine hesitancy is typically higher among younger people, as adults 65 years of age and older are most likely to receive recommended vaccinations.
This nationwide survey was conducted by the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in mid-August 2024.
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These findings come just weeks after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the updated drug. COVID-19 Vaccines From Moderna and Pfizer for the 2024-2025 season.
“We’re at the beginning of respiratory virus season, when you have the triple threat of flu, COVID-19, and RSV,” Nora Colburn, M.D., medical director of clinical epidemiology at Ohio State’s Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital, said in a press release.
About one-third of respondents also said they didn’t think they needed the vaccines mentioned in the survey — flu, COVID, RSV or pneumococcal pneumonia. (iStock)
“Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about vaccinations, but the reality is that they are safe and highly effective at preventing severe illness and death,” he said.
“Older people, people with certain chronic medical conditions, and pregnant women are particularly at risk during respiratory virus season.”
‘Vaccine fatigue’
Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of San Francisco-based biotechnology company Centivax, responded to the survey findings.
“It’s obviously not surprising that 37% of people said they got vaccinated in the past but aren’t planning to get it this year,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“We only made vaccinations mandatory a few years ago, and besides, vaccines are pretty widely given to children, so these 37% are people who wouldn’t normally be vaccinated anyway.”
The reported rate of 56% for the flu shot is slightly higher than average, as it hovers around 50%, Glanville said.
“Coronavirus vaccination rates are a little bit lower than those for the flu,” he said.
Adults age 65 and older are most likely to get the recommended vaccinations. (iStock)
According to Glanville, this may be because there is a lack of clarity among the public about the treatment of COVID-19 post-pandemic.
“This fatigue is also because COVID vaccines are not particularly effective at preventing symptoms, which leads people to think they are not effective (even though they do protect against severe disease),” he added.
‘Worrying’ trend
Dr. Marc Siegel is a senior medical analyst for Fox News and a clinical professor of medicine. NYU Langone Medical CenterHe said the survey findings were worrying to him.
“Both vaccines lose their effectiveness in six months, so an annual booster dose is appropriate for high-risk groups,” he told Fox News Digital.
“I recommend booster doses annually for the elderly, people with weakened immune systems, and people with long-term illnesses.”
Siegel estimates this year’s flu season will be similar to last year, which was “moderate,” with 25,000 deaths and 400,000 people hospitalized.
“The flu vaccine reduces the severity of disease and the number of hospitalisations by about a quarter, and helps provide community immunity,” he said.
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As for COVID, Siegel warned that virus activity is still quite high — “particularly in the western U.S.”
The doctor also warned about a new variant spreading in Europe, which he expects will soon reach the US as well, known as the XEC subvariant.
According to the CDC, all children 6 months and older are recommended to be vaccinated against influenza. (iStock)
“It appears to be more contagious — it causes nasal congestion, cough, loss of smell and appetite, sore throat and body aches,” he told Fox News Digital.
“The new vaccine will at least provide some coverage.”
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Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the infectious disease division at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told Siegel that very young children are being hospitalized in greater numbers — “likely because they haven’t been vaccinated in the primary series.”
“I recommend annual booster doses for the elderly, people with weakened immune systems and those with chronic illnesses, as well as those who are at risk for long COVID or who have had it before,” Siegel said.
C.D.C. vaccine recommendations
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued the following vaccination recommendations.
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Fever: Everyone age 6 months and older is recommended to be vaccinated against influenza.
COVID-19: The latest version of the COVID vaccine is recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older.
The latest version of the COVID vaccine is recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older. (iStock)
RSV: The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine is recommended for everyone age 75 and older, as well as people ages 60 to 74 who have certain chronic medical conditions, such as lung or heart disease, or who live in nursing homes, because they are at higher risk for severe illness. Pregnant women are also advised to get the vaccine during weeks 32 to 36 of pregnancy.
Pneumococcal: Pneumococcal vaccine is recommended for everyone younger than 5 years of age and people 65 years of age and older, as well as those at increased risk of severe disease.
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Fox News Digital contacted the OSU research team for comment.
