Child flu vaccinations plummet in Washington state
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The share of Washington children getting flu vaccines fell this year, with the state's decline far outpacing the drop nationally, according to new CDC data.
Why it matters: Flu shots can help prevent kids from getting sick, but they appear to be getting swept up in a broader wave of vaccine skepticism that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The CDC reported 200 pediatric flu-related deaths nationally in the 2023-24 season — a record high for a non-pandemic flu year.
By the numbers: Childhood flu vaccine coverage across the country is down 7.1 percentage points as of Nov. 30 compared to the same time last year.
- In Washington state, the decline was 15.9 percentage points over the same period.
- Only Idaho, Vermont, Wyoming and Montana saw bigger declines.
Zoom in: All told, 30.9% of Washington kids had gotten a flu vaccination as of Nov. 30, putting Washington among the bottom third of states when it comes to pediatric flu vaccine coverage, per the CDC.
- The figures are among kids aged six months to 17 years, with no data available from Arizona and Mississippi.
What they're saying: Flu vaccine coverage among children under 18 has been declining steadily in Washington over the past three flu seasons, Jamilia Sherls, director of the state health department's immunization office, told Axios in a written statement.
- Vaccine fatigue in the wake of the pandemic and a rise in misinformation about vaccines may be playing a role, Sherls said, along with a lack of access to health care services in some communities.
- One potential factor is the end of federal COVID-era funding that helped pay for community vaccination events, Kate Cole, a spokesperson for Public Health – Seattle & King County, told Axios.
- Without those federal dollars, "we've had to significantly scale back these types of vaccination resources," Cole wrote in an email.
Yes, but: The rate of childhood flu vaccinations didn't dip nearly as much in King County this year as it did statewide.
- Through November of this year, 28.6% of King County youth had received flu vaccines, compared to 30.6% at the same point in the 2023-24 season, Cole said.
Between the lines: The CDC numbers are in line with a national rise in vaccine exemptions among kindergartners, suggesting increasing vaccine skepticism among parents pretty much nationwide.
What's next: Public health experts worry that President-elect Trump's pick for health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., could further erode confidence in vaccines.