Most US Adults Plan to Skip Annual COVID Vaccines

Most US adults continue to plan on skipping an annual COVID vaccine.

About 6 in 10 people say they probably won’t get an updated shot this year, despite the CDC’s recommendation that everyone do so, according to results of a new survey from the Pew Research Center.

When asked why people wouldn’t get an updated COVID vaccine, 61% said a major reason was that they don’t think they need it, and 60% said a major reason is that they are concerned about side effects. Cost was a factor for 14% of people, and 46% of people said they don’t get vaccines in general.

There were some differences in intention to get vaccinated based on a person’s age. Among people aged 65 and older, 27% said they had already gotten the vaccine, and another 27% said they probably will get the shot, leaving 45% who said they probably won’t roll up their sleeves. People ages 30-49 years old were the least likely to plan on getting a COVID shot — 66% said they probably won’t get one.

Public health officials say everyone should get an annual COVID vaccine, just as they should get a flu shot, because the vaccines are formulated each year to target virus strains predicted to be in wide circulation. Also, immunity — either from past vaccination or past infection — wanes over time. 

Research shows that the vaccines reduce the likelihood of hospitalization or death due to severe illness, particularly among people who have risk factors, like being over age 65 or having health issues that are becoming increasingly common in the US, like diabetes, heart problems, and lung conditions.

The survey included 9593 adults who were asked about their COVID vaccine intentions with this question: “Public health officials recently recommended an updated vaccine for COVID-19. Do you think you will probably get an updated vaccine, probably not get an updated vaccine, or have you already received an updated vaccine?” The survey was done online and by telephone from October 21 to October 27.

So far this year, the CDC’s ongoing immunization survey shows that 17% of adults say that as of November 2, they have gotten vaccinated for COVID-19 this season, and 14% said they will definitely get vaccinated. The Pew Research Center survey found that 15% of people said they’ve already gotten the shot this season.

Reports of positive COVID tests, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations remain very low. About 3.6% of test results shared with the CDC were positive for COVID the week ending November 9. Less than 1% of ER visits involve a COVID diagnosis, and hospitalizations are well below the rate seen at this time last year. Last year, COVID activity in the US began rising around Thanksgiving and continued upward, peaking in early January.

The protection from a COVID-19 vaccination usually fully kicks in about 2 weeks after you get the shot, and the vaccines are most effective for the following 3 months.

This article originally appeared on MDedge.com, part of the Medscape Professional Network.

SOURCES:

Pew Research Center: “60% of Americans say they probably won’t get an updated COVID-19 vaccine.”

CDC: “COVIDVaxView Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard,” “COVID Data Tracker.”

Hopkins Medicine: “How long does the COVID-19 vaccine last?”