Few Adults Have Gotten Updated COVID-19 Vaccine
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.
By Physician’s Briefing Staff HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Oct. 27, 2023 -- Fewer Americans are rolling up their sleeves for the updated COVID-19 shot, leading health experts to call for a stepped-up vaccination campaign. Only 7 percent of adults and 2 percent of children in the United States have received the new vaccine, a nationwide survey conducted two weeks ago revealed.
Experts expressed dismay at the numbers -- which were presented Thursday at a meeting held by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the Associated Press. But uptake may stay low. Nearly 40 percent of survey respondents said they "probably" or "definitely would not" get the shot. A similar percentage of parents said they did not plan to vaccinate their children.
At the meeting, Camille Kotton, M.D., of Harvard Medical School, called the numbers "abysmal," and urged stepped-up efforts to educate the public about the boosters. Kotton said patients may be confused, the AP reported. The new shot is just the latest that Americans have been asked to get over the past 2-1/2 years to fight COVID-19.
The new vaccine targets a highly contagious descendant of the omicron variant dubbed XBB.1.5, the AP reported.
The government recently transitioned to a commercialized system that relied on the health care industry -- not the government -- to distribute the shots, AP noted. Some Americans who quickly sought shots said doctors and pharmacies did not have them.
Associated Press Article
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted October 2023
Further Support and Information on COVID-19
Read this next
COVID-19 Vaccination Not Tied to Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes
TUESDAY, June 25, 2024 -- mRNA COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, according to a study published in the...
Cannabis Use Tied to Risk of COVID-19 Hospitalizations, ICU Admissions
TUESDAY, June 25, 2024 -- Current cannabis use may be an independent risk factor for COVID-19–related complications, according to a study published online June 21...
FDA Approves Capvaxive Pneumococcal 21-Valent Conjugate Vaccine
FRIDAY, June 21, 2024 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the Capvaxive pneumococcal 21-valent conjugate vaccine for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.