Less than 1 in 6 health workers got COVID booster
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Fewer than 1 in 6 health care workers in hospitals and nursing homes reported getting COVID-19 boosters during the 2023-2024 respiratory virus season, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found.
The big picture: The drop-off followed the expiration of a Biden administration vaccine mandate for health workers in June 2023 and the end of free access to government-funded COVID shots.
- But health workers in a recent survey also expressed low confidence in the effectiveness, safety and benefit of COVID-19 vaccines, though many still believe the virus is a serious health threat.
By the numbers: The CDC study found 15.3% of workers in 4,112 acute care hospitals got boosted in 2023-2024, with rates lowest among licensed independent practitioners.
- Vaccination coverage was 10.5% overall among workers in more than 14,000 nursing homes.
- Flu vaccination rates for the same period were 80.7% at acute care hospitals and 45.4% at nursing homes.
Go deeper: With immunity from prior vaccinations or infections waning, public health officials say it's important for health workers to stay current on the shots, to avoid getting sick and to reduce the risk of exposing patients to preventable diseases.
- But skepticism about the shots is widespread, with vaccine coverage typically higher in urban areas than in rural areas and lower in the South.
- CDC noted health care personnel who felt sufficiently informed about the COVID-19 vaccine were 10 times likelier to take the shots and four times more likely to recommend the vaccine to their patients.
- The low coverage among independent practitioners underscores challenges vaccinating independent contractors and documenting vaccination that occurs outside of a hospital or clinic, the study authors noted.
Of note: While CDC vaccine advisers recommend that health workers get flu vaccines, no such specific recommendations are in place for COVID-19 shots, other than individual workplace policies or promotions like free shots on site.
