CDC director urges flu, COVID vaccination amid low uptake

Vaccination rates for COVID-19 and the flu have declined, and a significant portion of the U.S. population indicated they are not interested in getting either this year, according to a new survey.

The survey from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases found that only about 20 percent of Americans are worried about themselves or someone in their family getting infected with the flu, COVID-19 or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

About 43 percent of adults said they do not plan to or are unsure whether they will get vaccinated against flu. Only 40 percent said they plan to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and among adults aged 60 years and older, only 40 percent said they plan to get vaccinated against RSV.

When asked about their reasons for not getting vaccinated, survey respondents cited concerns about side effects, distrust of vaccines and the belief that vaccines do not work well.

During a press briefing to release the survey, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Mandy Cohen said only 47 percent of U.S. adults received a flu vaccine during the 2022-23 respiratory season, down from 49 percent in 2021-22.

Cohen urged everyone aged 6 months and older to get vaccinated against flu and COVID-19 this season and said new agency data showed vaccines prevented more than 66,000 flu-related hospitalizations last year.

Cohen said 97 percent of the people who were hospitalized for flu had at least one underlying condition, but only 58 percent of adults with at least one chronic health condition were vaccinated.

Older adults were more likely than younger adults to receive a flu vaccine: 35 percent of adults aged 18-49 years received a flu vaccine, 50 percent of adults aged 50-64, and 70 percent of adults aged 65 or older.

However, flu vaccination rates among children, pregnant people and health care providers dropped. For pregnant people, vaccination coverage was 47 percent, significantly lower than the 58 percent prior to the pandemic. 

Only 27 percent of women reported receiving a COVID-19 bivalent booster vaccine before or during pregnancy.

Among children aged 6 months to 17 years, flu vaccination was consistent with the 2021-22 season but lower than prior to the pandemic. 

Cohen said the CDC is anticipating a respiratory virus season that’s less serious than last year, when hospitals, especially pediatric units, were filled to capacity because the early arrival of flu and RSV coincided with an increase in COVID infections.  

Cohen and other health officials have been highlighting the updated COVID-19 shots, as well as the first-ever shots to prevent RSV in adults older than 60. 

She acknowledged that some states and localities are putting additional requirements in place for the RSV shot, like needing a prescription, but that insurance companies are required to cover it. 

Shots for infants will be rolling out from the manufacturer soon, she said.

“It’s exciting we have these tools. We need to use them,” Cohen said.