From pandemic fatigue to vaccine fatigue — Americans are proving slow to follow the CDC’s advice to get a COVID-19 booster shot this fall.
On Sept. 12, the CDC recommended that everyone six months and older should get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of the illness as we roll into the winter months.
But by the end of September, only 7.6 million people, or less than 3% of eligible Americans, had rolled up their sleeves and received the updated shots, according to Reuters.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency department visits due to COVID had increased by 7.1% across the US, and hospital admissions increased by 8.6% as of November 11.
Most Americans can still get a COVID-19 vaccine for free either through their health insurance plan or via local health centers and certain pharmacies. Despite that, uptake of the current fall/winter booster has so far been extremely low, according to the CDC release. This is in part due in part to some finding it difficult to book vaccination appointments or find booster shots at no cost.
Low uptake of the booster shots is concerning for not only the country’s health care leaders, but also for the companies that make the COVID-19 vaccines and the investors who added them to their stock portfolios
Here’s a look at how the big three vaccine makers are coping with the lower-than-expected demand this fall. --->READ MORE HERE
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Few Americans are eager for another round
An autumn chill always precedes the annual period of cold-weather maladies. It was during such a season four years ago that murmurings of a fearful coronavirus disease arose, the memories of which are still fresh.
Even though the updated COVID-19 vaccines are “safe, effective and free,” according to assurances of public-health officialdom, Americans aren’t buying it, refusing to roll up their sleeves any more.
“CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 illness this fall and winter,” reads a recent advisory from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The government agency reported that as of Nov. 17, a vanishingly small 5.4% of Americans had received the recently released 2023-24 COVID-19 jab. Even the vulnerable 65-plus cohort only logged a 31.7% vaccination rate. By contrast, 35.1% of the population has accepted inoculation for the seasonal flu.
Americans are likely turning down the updated vax because, while indeed free, the claim that the injections are “safe” remain unconvincing. More than 1 million health issues thought to be caused by the various brands have been reported to the CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) as of Oct. 27, including 21,541 deaths. By contrast, 1.26 million adverse events have been registered as likely associated with all other vaccines administered since 1900, with about half the deaths at 11,673.
Moreover, questions have emerged as to whether the VAERS operation has been sufficiently staffed to manage the explosion of COVID-era adverse reports. The office had been receiving about 60,000 reports annually pre-pandemic, but total reports exceeded 1 million in 2021, and an additional 600,000 have been recorded since, according to an investigation published this month by BMJ, publishers of the influential British medical journal. --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to relevant/related stories and resources:
Covid vaccine rates in the U.S. are slumping — and it will be a challenge to boost them
New survey finds 51% of Americans are saying 'no' to latest COVID-19 vaccine
USA TODAY: Coronavirus Updates
WSJ: Coronavirus Live Updates
YAHOO NEWS: Coronavirus Live Updates
NEW YORK POST: Coronavirus The Latest
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