Ask Axios: Are flu vaccination rates down?
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Reader Lisa M. asks: What is the rate of flu shots received last year versus this year and does it correlate to the increase in flu activity? One would suspect that flu shots are down, since illness is up?
What we found: While we can't attribute this winter's "super flu" surge sheerly to vaccination rates, current trends certainly aren't helping the situation.
By the numbers: Rates are down for both Ohio adults and children compared to last season, per the CDC's latest National Immunization Survey.
- Adults' 37.8% coverage, as of Jan. 3, is 5 percentage points lower.
- Children's 37.3% is 3.7% lower.
Plus: The number of flu shots distributed to providers nationwide has declined every year since the COVID-19 pandemic.
What they're saying: "There are a lot of factors that can contribute to flu activity and severity each year, including changes in the virus and how protected a population is," Ohio Department of Health spokesperson Michaela Sumner tells Axios.
- "Getting the flu shot is the most important step people can take to protect themselves from getting seriously ill."
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