COVID Vaccine Uptake Still Lagging Ahead of the Holidays

Uptake of the latest COVID-19 vaccine remains low headed into the holidays, according to new survey data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of Nov. 13, around 36 million eligible adults in the United States had received the updated shot. That equates to approximately 14% of the U.S. adult population. While these figures are in line with uptake rates seen with the previous COVID booster — approximately 17% of those who were eligible got the bivalent booster shot — they are still well below those observed with the initial COVID series.

The CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend that everyone over 6 months get the new vaccine, especially those who are more vulnerable to serious infections, such as older people and people who have pre-existing conditions or autoimmune disorders.

But the public has been hesitant to follow. Even among those who experts say would benefit most from the shot, uptake has been lackluster, with just over 30% of adults 65 and older having received the jab.

The latest versions of the COVID vaccine have been updated to target some of the variants that have circulated the most widely over the last several months — the XBB variants, which are descendants of Omicron. 

Americans have been able to get the shot since mid-September, but the initial rollout was a bit rocky. Supply chain issues hindered pharmacies’ ability to meet demand and many people were forced to reschedule their first vaccine appointment. 

Just 1% of eligible adults in the U.S. received the updated shot in September. That figure has continued to slowly climb for the last two months, despite many Americans signaling that they would get the updated vaccine.

According to the CDC’s survey data, around 28% of Americans said that they would “definitely” get the vaccine, while around 30% said that they probably would. That leaves around a 42% gap between people who plan to or have expressed interest in getting the shot and those who have followed through with actually getting it.

The reason for this gap could be attributed to perceptions of risk, according to new survey data from Moderna that explored different generations’ regard for COVID vaccines.

The survey revealed that up to 40% of Baby Boomers, who are between the ages of around 59 and 77, say they are not likely to get the vaccine because they do not perceive themselves as at risk of serious illness, despite the fact that their generation is among those most vulnerable to COVID. This sentiment was even more prevalent among Millennials and Gen Z, of whom 53% and 57% reported feeling like COVID was not a significant risk to them.

Despite the low uptake thus far, experts are still urging people to get vaccinated ahead of the holidays when large gatherings tend to increase the spread of the virus.