Yesterday during its annual news conference, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) said less than 1 in 5 Americans are concerned about flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as the nation approaches the fall and winter viral season.
Furthermore, despite a summer surge in COVID activity and last year’s 199 pediatric flu deaths, only 38% of Americans surveyed said they plan to get a flu shot this year, and 26% said they would get a COVID vaccine.
The survey was conducted August 8 to 12 and included 1,160 respondents.
Concern over COVID has dropped
The annual press conference is meant to kick off annual vaccination season, but the survey results show a population that has moved on from the COVID-19 pandemic and is wary of annual vaccinations. Concern about COVID-19 has dropped from 34% in 2022 to 20% in 2024, and only 17% polled said they were concerned about flu.
A similar trend was seen concerning masking: 19% of those polled say they will wear a mask in a doctor’s office, pharmacy, or hospital this fall and winter, and only 49% will wear a mask in healthcare settings this fall and winter if they are required to do so.
The survey results revealed some cognitive dissonance among Americans: 67% of those polled agreed that annual flu vaccination is the most effective way to prevent flu-related hospitalizations and deaths, yet many still will refuse to get vaccinated.
"The single most important thing folks can do to protect themselves as we get into fall and winter is get vaccinated,” said Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, during the news conference. Cohen is the director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
During the news conference, Cohen got a flu shot. "I wouldn't recommend something to the American people that I wouldn't recommend for myself, family and loved ones," she said.
I wouldn’t recommend something to the American people that I wouldn’t recommend for myself, family and loved ones.
The NFID survey also reported that only 16% are concerned about RSV, and 17% are concerned about pneumococcal disease. Among adults for whom RSV vaccines are recommended, 21% say they will definitely get vaccinated this upcoming season.
Vaccines prevented thousands of hospitalizations
Throughout the press conference, experts from the NFID and CDC reminded Americans that even if vaccination doesn't completely protect against infection, in can lessen the severity of disease if a person gets sick.
Demetre Daskalakis, MD, MPH, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, said during the 2023-24 flu season, there were between 380,000 and 900,000 flu hospitalizations, and the CDC estimates that flu vaccination prevented 105,000 to 240,000 hospitalizations.
During the 2023-24 typical respiratory virus season (October through April) there were an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 COVID-19-associated hospitalizations, and COVID-19 vaccination likely prevented an additional 40,000 to 100,000 hospitalizations.
