FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- A new survey showing that nearly half of U.S. adults are not likely to get a flu shot this season has prompted federal health officials to urge all Americans to get the flu vaccines.
Even more troubling is that the poll of 1,110 respondents aged 18 and older also found that nearly 1 in 4 of those at high risk for flu-related complications said they don't intend to get a flu shot, The New York Times reported.
Overall, 61% of respondents agreed that vaccination provides the best protection against the flu, but 44% said they either didn't intend to get a shot or were unsure whether they would get one.
The survey was commissioned by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
Overall vulnerability to flu could be higher in the United States this year due to "relaxed COVID-19 mitigation strategies, increased travel and the reopening of schools," the foundation's medical director, Dr. William Schaffner, told the Times.
The severity of the upcoming flu season is unclear, but other respiratory infections have already returned, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a Thursday news briefing to release the survey data.
