As this year’s seasonal respiratory virus season has begun in the northern hemisphere, it is recommended by public health officials to get vaccinated against influenza and COVID-19, and depending on a person's age, to get immunized against RSV and pneumococcal disease as well.
However, a majority of Americans do not plan to get immunized according to the findings of a new NFID survey released yesterday. In fact, only 38% of US adults say they will definitely get a flu vaccine, despite 2 out of 3 (67%) agreeing that annual flu vaccination is the most effective way to prevent flu-related hospitalizations and deaths. Even fewer, only about 1 in 4 (26%), say they will get a COVID-19 vaccine, and among those for whom it is recommended, only 21% definitely plan to get vaccinated against RSV and 24% against pneumococcal disease.1
The survey was titled, 2024 National Survey: Attitudes and Behaviors about Influenza, COVID-19, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and Pneumococcal Disease, and was conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. Data were collected using the AmeriSpeak Omnibus, NORC's probability-based panel designed to be representative of the US household population.1
Interviews for the survey were conducted between August 8-12, 2024, with adults age 18 years and older representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Randomly selected US households were sampled with a known, non-zero probability of selection from the NORC National Sample Frame and 1160 completed the survey—1130 online and 30 by telephone. Interviews were conducted in English.1
According to new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data released yesterday, the 2023-2024 flu season in the United States was moderately severe with an estimated 41 million illnesses, 490,000 hospitalizations, and 25,000 flu-related deaths. Less than half (45%) of US adults received a flu vaccine during the 2023-2024 season, 2 percentage points lower than in 2022-2023 (47%), and 4 percentage points lower than in 2021-2022 (49%). In 2023-2024, slightly more than half (55%) of children age 6 months to 17 years received a flu vaccine, and 199 children died due to flu-related illness, matching the previous high reported during the 2019-2020 season. Historically, about 80% of reported pediatric deaths have been in children who were not fully vaccinated, and this is consistent last season as well.1
Despite the fact that 95% of US adults who were hospitalized with flu-related complications last season had at least 1 underlying chronic health condition, only 46% of those age 18-64 years with at least 1 chronic health condition received a flu vaccine last season, 3 percentage points lower than in 2022-2023 (49%), and 4 percentage points lower than in 2021-2022 (50%).1
"Last flu season, an estimated 25,000 people in the US died from flu or related complications and 75,000 from COVID-19 in 2023, demonstrating how dangerous these diseases can be," CDC Director Mandy K. Cohen, MD, MPH, said at a an NFID press conference revealing the survey results.1
Virus Protection Strategies
NFID promotes the CDC Take 3 approach to help prevent respiratory illnesses this fall and winter:
- Get vaccinated
- Practice healthy habits to help stop the spread of infectious diseases (stay home when sick, cover coughs and sneezes, wash hands often, and consider wearing a mask if you or a household member are at increased risk of severe illness)
- Treat with prescription medication if recommended by a healthcare professional
"We can protect ourselves and those we care about by getting updated vaccines to reduce the risk of serious illness from flu and COVID-19 and do more of the things we enjoy. I encourage everyone 6 months and older to get an annual flu vaccine and the updated COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks," Cohen said at the press conference, yesterday.
The CDC director herself, along with other panelists at the press conference were vaccinated against influenza.
Founded in 1973, NFID is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to educating and engaging the public, communities, and healthcare professionals about infectious diseases across the lifespan.
What You Need to Know
While most Americans recognize that flu vaccination is important in preventing serious illness, only 38% plan to get the flu shot, and even fewer are committed to getting updated COVID-19, RSV, and pneumococcal vaccines.
CDC data from the 2023-2024 season shows that flu and COVID-19 remain significant public health threats, with 25,000 flu-related deaths and 75,000 COVID-19 deaths in 2023. Vaccination rates have declined slightly for both adults and children.
Efforts are being made to improve accessibility, such as the FDA’s approval of the FluMist nasal spray for self-administration, and updated COVID-19 vaccines targeting new variants like the KP2 strain are now available.
Nasal Influenza Vaccine
Just last week, in an effort make it easier for the public to get influenza immunizations, the FDA approved the FluMist nasal influenza spray vaccine for either self-administration, or as a caregiver, to give to someone else. For the latter, FDA recommends that a caregiver should administer the nasal vaccine to individuals 2 through 17 years of age, as individuals in this age group should not self-administer the vaccine.2
FluMist is approved for the prevention of influenza disease caused by influenza virus subtypes A and B in individuals 2 through 49 years of age. FluMist is sprayed into the nose and has been used safely and effectively for many years. It was initially approved by the FDA in 2003 for use in individuals 5 through 49 years of age, and in 2007, the FDA approved the use of FluMist to include children 2 through 5 years of age. It is the first vaccine to prevent influenza, more commonly known as the flu, that does not need to be administered by a health care provider.2
Updated COVID-19 Vaccines
This past summer, the federal agencies updated guidance on the vaccine protection for the COVID-19 variants. And the pharmaceutical companies have responded and updated their vaccines to protect against the KP2 strain for 2024-2025 immunization.3
Last month, the FDA has granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, for both Moderna and Pfizer.4 And just days later, the FDA granted an EUA for the Novavax vaccine.5
“The good news is that there are safe and effective vaccines that can help protect against certain respiratory diseases, preventing severe cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Vaccines are not just a shield against illness—they are an important tool in our public health efforts." NFID Medical Director Robert H. Hopkins, Jr., MD, associate professor of pediatrics and infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine and NFID director, said at the press conference and was another of the panelists vaccinated against influenza.
Reference
5. Abene S. FDA Grants Emergency Use Authorization for New Novavax Vaccine Against Omicron Variant. Contagion. August 30, 2024. Accessed September 26, 2024.
