How rates of flu vaccination among adults in the US have changed since 2020

What is it about?

The influenza (flu) vaccine provides essential protection against the flu virus, but the number of American adults who get vaccinated against flu has declined in recent years. We conducted a nationally-representative survey to examine the demographic nuances of this decline, and to see how flu vaccine uptake has changed since 2020. We found that individuals who were older, male, White, non-Hispanic, and more educated - groups that have historically been more likely to vaccinate - were significantly less likely to get vaccinated in 2024 than they were in 2020. We must target these demographic groups with evidence-based behavioral interventions to improve uptake of flu vaccines.

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Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Every year, influenza results in an estimated 9.3-41M illnesses, 120K-710K hospitalizations, and 6,300-52,000 deaths in the US alone, many of which can be (and are) prevented by the flu vaccine. Despite this, many people do not get vaccinated against flu. Understanding who is less likely to vaccinate gives us the opportunity to address this group directly, understand what barriers may be preventing them from vaccinating and develop strategies to improve their vaccine uptake.