A new survey shows that an increasing number of American adults are hesitant to get the recommended vaccine this fall.
The survey of 1,006 people found that just 43% of respondents have received or plan to receive a COVID vaccine.
Only a slight majority of adults (56%) say they have received or plan to receive a flu shot this fall.
Survey shows growing distrust of coronavirus vaccines among Americans: “It should be a personal choice”
The survey also found that 37% of people who have been vaccinated in the past plan to hold off on getting vaccinated this season.
A new survey shows that an increasing number of American adults are hesitant to get the recommended vaccine this fall. (iStock)
About a third of respondents also said they don't think the influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus and pneumococcal pneumonia vaccines mentioned in the survey are necessary.
Adults aged 65 and older are the most likely to receive the recommended vaccination, so vaccine hesitancy tends to skew younger people.
The national survey was conducted in mid-August 2024 by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
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These findings came just weeks after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a revised version. COVID-19 Vaccines Vaccines will be provided by Moderna and Pfizer for the 2024-2025 season.
“We are at the beginning of respiratory virus season with a triple threat: influenza, COVID-19 and RSV,” Nora Colburn, MD, medical director of clinical epidemiology at The Ohio State University Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital, said in a press release.
About a third of respondents also said they don't think the influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus and pneumococcal pneumonia vaccines mentioned in the survey are necessary. (iStock)
“Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about vaccinations, but the reality is that the vaccines are safe and highly effective in preventing serious illness and death,” she continued.
“Older people, people with certain chronic illnesses, and pregnant women are particularly at risk during respiratory virus outbreaks.”
“Vaccine fatigue”
Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of San Francisco biotechnology company Centivax, responded to the poll results.
“It's not surprising, of course, that 37% of people said they've been vaccinated in the past but don't plan to get vaccinated this year,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“Because vaccinations were only made mandatory a few years ago and childhood vaccinations are so widespread, this 37 percent is people who wouldn't normally be vaccinated anyway.”
Glanville said flu vaccination coverage is reported at 56 percent, a bit higher than average as it typically hovers around 50 percent.
“Vaccination rates for coronavirus are a little lower than for influenza,” he noted.
Adults 65 and older are most likely to receive the recommended vaccinations. (iStock)
According to Glanville, this could be due to a lack of clarity among the public on how to handle COVID-19 in the wake of the pandemic.
“There's also fatigue from the COVID vaccines not being particularly effective at preventing symptoms, leading people to believe the vaccines are not effective (even though they can prevent severe illness),” he added.
A “worrying” trend
Senior Healthcare Analyst for Fox News NYU Langone Medical Centersaid he was concerned about the poll results.
“The effectiveness of both vaccines fades over six months, so annual booster shots for high-risk groups would make sense,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Annual booster vaccinations are recommended for older adults, those who are immunocompromised, and those with chronic diseases.”
Siegel predicts this year's flu season will be similar to last year's “moderate” flu season, with 25,000 deaths and 400,000 hospitalizations.
“Flu vaccination reduces the severity and number of hospitalizations by about a quarter and helps build community immunity,” he added.
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When it comes to COVID-19, Siegel warned that the virus remains quite active, “particularly in the western U.S.”
He also warned about a new variant of the virus known as the XEC variant that is circulating in Europe and which he predicts will soon become prevalent in the United States.
According to the CDC, it is recommended that everyone over the age of 6 months get a flu shot. (iStock)
“It appears to be highly contagious, causing stuffy nose, coughing, loss of smell and appetite, sore throat and body aches,” he told Fox News Digital.
“The new vaccines should provide at least some coverage.”
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Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center and attending physician in the infectious diseases department at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told Siegel that hospitalization rates are increasing among very young children, “probably because they're not getting their first dose of the vaccine.”
“Annual booster vaccinations are recommended for older adults, those with compromised immune systems, those with chronic illnesses and those at risk for long-term COVID-19 or those who have had previous infection,” Siegel said.
CDC Vaccine Recommendations
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued the following vaccine recommendations:
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influenza: Flu vaccinations are recommended for everyone aged 6 months and older.
COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): The latest version of the COVID vaccine is recommended for everyone aged 6 months and older.
The latest version of the COVID vaccine is recommended for everyone aged 6 months and older. (iStock)
reply: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines are recommended for everyone aged 75 years or older, and for people aged 60-74 years who have certain chronic medical conditions, such as lung or heart disease, or who live in nursing homes, because these people are at higher risk for severe illness. Pregnant women are also recommended to get vaccinated between the 32nd and 36th weeks of pregnancy.
Streptococcus pneumoniae: The pneumococcal vaccine is recommended for everyone under 5 years of age and over 65 years of age, as well as those at high risk of severe illness.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the OSU research team for comment.
