Fewer kids are getting their flu shots in the DMV this year
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Fewer kids are getting flu shots so far this season in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, per 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 in the 2023-24 season — a record high for a non-pandemic flu year.
The big picture: This comes as the number of kindergarten students with vaccine exemptions in D.C., Maryland and Virginia is increasing.
State of play: Childhood flu vaccine coverage in D.C. dropped 6.2 percentage points to 52.3% as of Nov. 30, compared with the same time last year.
- 47.5% of Maryland kids have their flu shot so far this year, compared with 54.5% last year — a drop of 7 percentage points.
- In Virginia, it's 45.1% so far this year, compared with 49.9% last year — a 4.8 percentage point drop.
Zoom out: This follows a national trend — 36.6% of kids nationwide have their flu shots for the 2024-25 season so far, a 7.1 percentage point drop from last season.
- Childhood flu vaccination is down in every state except Iowa.
What we're watching: Public health experts worry President-elect Trump's pick for health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., could further erode confidence in many vaccines that have proved safe and effective, as Axios' Maya Goldman and Tina Reed report.