COVID-19 Vaccine Rates ‘Lower’ Than Expected, CDC Says While Admitting Shots ‘Don’t Prevent Every Infection’

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it is disappointed in the lack of Americans who have rolled up their sleeves for the most recent COVID booster shot.

As of early November this year, only about 14% of adults in the United States have gotten the recent COVID booster, according to CDC data. 

The vaccine uptake, the agency said in a release, is “lower” than what the CDC experts had hoped to see.

“COVID-19 vaccines don’t prevent every infection – that’s true of lots of vaccines – but they can reduce illness severity in people who get vaccinated but still get sick, helping to save lives, reduce hospitalizations, and prevent trips to the doctor,” the health agency said. 

Some experts have said that the recommendations for this new class of vaccine are too wide. Paul Offit, M.D., who oversees vaccine education at the Philadelphia Children’s Hospital and advises the Food and Drug Administration on matters related to vaccines, told The Messenger in September that he would not recommend young people to get the shot.

Instead, he only recommends people aged 70 and older get the new vaccine. Dr. Offit, who is 72, said he would pass on the shot himself.

Senior Americans are getting the shot at higher rates than their younger peers, according to the CDC. Around 30% of seniors 65 and older have received the new booster dose, according to the National Immunization Survey. 

However, more than two-thirds of older adults who “need this added protection” to avoid the severe risks of hospitalization or death from a serious COVID infection have yet to get to the jab, the CDC says.

The downward trend is also evident in nursing homes where about 17% of the residents have reportedly received the updated vaccine. The vaccination rates are “certainly a low number for this group at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19,” the CDC continued. 

To mitigate the barriers to COVID-19 vaccines and expand access, the CDC has implemented the Bridge Access program which provides free COVID vaccines for adults without health insurance or if insurance does not cover all of the vaccine-related costs. This program is slated to end by December 31, 2024.