Nearly half of adults are unplanned or hesitant to get the flu vaccine

More than two-thirds of U.S. adults believe that annual influenza (flu) vaccination is the best protection against infection, but 41% believe they will get the flu during the 2022-2023 season. They say they do not plan to vaccinate or are unsure. A national survey by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID). The main reason cited is the belief that flu vaccines don’t work well, infectious disease experts said at a press conference.

“Based on what we’ve seen in parts of the Southern Hemisphere, flu could hit us hard this year,” said NFID medical director William Schaffner, MD.

Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director, discussed the worrying decline in influenza vaccination over the past two years. From 2021, during the 2022 flu season, 51% of the entire U.S. population aged 6 months and older received her flu vaccine. According to NFID findings, 49% of U.S. adults report that they plan to get a flu shot this flu season. Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older.

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Approximately 94% of US adults hospitalized with flu-related complications during the 2021-2022 flu season had at least one underlying medical condition. Influenza vaccination coverage in this subgroup was relatively low during the last influenza season, with 43% of adults aged 18–49 years vaccinated for at least one of her chronic health conditions. rice field. Of concern this year, 1 in 5 of her people (22%) who were at high risk of developing serious flu-related complications reported that they never planned to get it. vaccinated Influenza measures for the 2022-2023 season. The table lists the most common reasons why people do not plan to get the flu vaccine this year.

table. Top reasons for not getting the flu vaccine during the 2022-2023 season

There has been a decline in influenza vaccination coverage among children aged 6 months to 17 years, with 58% coverage for the 2021-2022 flu season, down about 6% from the 2019-2020 season. I’m here. The 58% rate is the lowest vaccination coverage seen in children in the past eight seasons, Dr. Walensky said.

“Parents and caregivers need to be reminded that the flu can be especially dangerous for children. child Children under 5 years of age and of all ages with certain chronic conditions are at increased risk of developing serious flu-related complications.

“Some of the sickest kids I’ve seen in my career have the flu, and most kids who are hospitalized with the flu aren’t vaccinated,” says Patricia A. Stinch. Field (RN, MS, CPNP, NFID President, press conference moderator) said.

Why are pregnant women at higher risk of complications from the flu?

Vaccination coverage among pregnant women has dropped to 50% compared to approximately 55% in the previous season and approximately 58% in the 2019-2020 season. Now is the time to reverse the decline in maternal flu vaccination coverage, said her Tamika C. Auguste, MD, director of women’s and infant services at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

“The flu vaccine is an old vaccine. I will explain To increase Possibility of influenza complications due to decreased vital capacity and pseudoimmune deficiency that occurs during pregnancy.

“Influenza vaccination during pregnancy increases the average risk of pregnant women being hospitalized with influenza. 40%,” said Dr. Walensky.

Dr. Auguste said the vaccine is 2:1 in that it protects mothers from hospitalization and death, allows mothers to pass antibodies to their newborns, and prevents flu complications for up to six months of life. explained that it was a transaction of

“Take time. Listen to your patients. What are their concerns? Talk about everything,” she said. Pregnant women can be vaccinated during pregnancy, the postpartum period, or while breastfeeding, she noted.

For those who say flu vaccines don’t always match perfectly with the strains circulating each season, Dr. said the vaccine reduced the risk of disease. 35%And for people with the flu, the vaccine can reduce the duration and severity of the illness, experts say.

One of the new changes for this flu season is that the CDC Recommendation Adults over the age of 65 should preferentially receive one of three high-dose or adjuvanted influenza vaccines. ) influenza vaccine. If these preferred vaccines are not available, age-appropriate influenza vaccines are available for older patients.

Concerns about co-administration of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines

Concerns about co-administration of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines were common among survey respondents. 41% said they would never get the vaccines at the same time, 36% said they would get both vaccines at the same time if offered, and 23% were unsure. Survey data indicated a lack of confidence in the safety of coadministration of vaccines.

• 32% are very/very confident about the safety of getting the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time
• Thirty-seven percent were less confident or not at all confident about the safety of getting the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time.
• Thirty percent were only moderately confident about the safety of getting both influenza and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time.

“These survey data are alarming. The latest COVID-19 booster can be safely and conveniently available at the same time as the flu vaccine,” said Stinchfield.

Lack of confidence in coadministration of vaccines is more common among black and Hispanic adults, with 48% of these adults having little or no confidence in the safety of coadministration compared to 35% of white adults He said he was not confident at all. Educational level also played a role, with 42% of college graduates having little or no confidence in the safety of the combination, compared with 27% of college graduates.

Barriers to Pneumococcal Vaccination: Clinicians

Fewer than a third (29%) of adults aged 65 years and older at high risk for pneumococcal infection and adults with underlying medical conditions reported being advised to receive pneumococcal vaccination, It shows areas that need improvement among clinicians.

The survey also revealed gaps in knowledge about pneumococcal infections and vaccination among older adults and other high-risk groups. It highlights another area of ​​clinician improvement. Physician not recommending pneumococcal vaccination was the most frequently cited reason (57%) among those who were unsure or unwilling to receive the pneumococcal vaccine.

Dr. Stinchfield said:

More adults wearing masks during flu season

“On the positive side, we have more preventive actions in our toolbox than before the COVID-19 pandemic. We wear masks and are used to staying home when sick.” Most adults (58%) reported wearing masks at least occasionally during flu season. This is a preventative action that represents a major shift compared to pre-pandemic flu seasons.

About the survey

This NFID-sponsored survey University of Chicago NORC. Data is, AmeriSpeak to everyonea monthly multiclient survey using NORC’s probability-based panel designed to be representative of the US household population.

Interviews for this study were conducted between August 11-15, 2022, with adults ages 18 and older representing 50 states and the District of Columbia. A total of 1005 participants randomly drawn from AmeriSpeak completed the survey.

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National Infectious Diseases Foundation. 2022 Annual Influenza and Pneumococcal Disease Press Conference4 October 2022.