Supply: Annenberg Public Coverage Heart’s ASAPH surveys, October 2023 and November 2024. Credit score: Annenberg Public Coverage Heart
A yr after changing into accessible, vaccines to guard in opposition to RSV in newborns and older adults are being extra extensively accepted by the American public, in line with a brand new Annenberg Public Coverage Heart (APPC) well being survey performed in November 2024.
Over half of U.S. adults (52%) suppose the vaccine given to pregnant people to guard their infants from RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is efficient, up from 42% in October 2023, quickly after the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) really helpful the vaccine. And 61% say the RSV vaccine for adults age 60 and older is efficient, up from 54% in October 2023.
The rise in perceived effectiveness for the RSV vaccine comes though there was no signal up to now of a dreaded “tripledemic,” the wave of flu, COVID-19, and RSV sicknesses that stuffed emergency rooms within the fall and winter of 2022-23 and should have resulted in over 100,000 U.S. deaths. As of Dec. 20, 2024, the CDC stories general average ranges of acute respiratory sickness, although flu season is underway with ranges growing throughout the nation, COVID-19 exercise is growing from low ranges in some areas of the nation, and RSV exercise is excessive and growing in most U.S. areas, particularly in younger kids.
The rise additionally comes as a number of of president-elect Donald Trump’s nominees for main policy-making well being positions have solid doubt on the efficacy and security of vaccines, notably Well being and Human Providers Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has stated “no vaccine” is protected and efficient, and CDC chief nominee Dave Weldon, who—like Kennedy—has promoted the disproven hyperlink between vaccines and autism.
Vaccine hesitancy could have plateaued
The previous a number of years have proven proof of elevated vaccine hesitancy. (See our October 2023 survey launch, “Vaccine Confidence Falls as Belief in Health Misinformation Grows.”) Nevertheless, by a number of measures within the November survey, together with the RSV findings famous above, public acceptance of vaccination has risen barely or held regular:
86% of respondents say the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR) is protected, up from 81% in October 2023. The rebound brings it again towards the 88% who perceived it as protected in August 2022.
83% say the flu vaccine is protected, unchanged from October 2023.
65% say the COVID-19 vaccine is protected, unchanged from final fall.
The perceived effectiveness of quite a lot of different vaccines is unchanged from October 2023.
Over three-quarters of the general public would suggest numerous vaccines, when acceptable, to members of their households and households.
As well as, regardless of persevering with assaults on the protection and efficacy of sure vaccines by some politicians, 9 in 10 respondents say it is necessary for fogeys to get their kids vaccinated: 72% say it is vitally or extraordinarily vital and 19% say it’s considerably vital. Solely 10% say it isn’t in any respect or not essential that oldsters get their kids vaccinated.
Flu vaccine vs. COVID-19
Within the survey, U.S. adults view the seasonal flu shot as more practical at decreasing the chance of getting a extreme case of the flu this season (75%) than the COVID booster is at decreasing the chance of getting a extreme case of COVID this season (55%). There’s been a big enhance in understanding that the flu shot would not essentially stop an individual who’s uncovered to the flu from getting sick but it surely does make the an infection much less extreme (54%, up from 48% in October 2023). Fewer individuals say they’re uncertain what impact a flu shot has on an individual who’s later uncovered to somebody with the flu (14%, down from 20%).
The November information present that fewer individuals have obtained or plan to obtain the COVID booster, as in contrast with the flu shot:
Simply over half of survey respondents (51%) both obtained the seasonal flu shot (40%) or say they’re very prone to (11%) get it, in contrast with 38% who both obtained the most recent COVID-19 booster (29%) or say they’re very prone to (9%).
The commonest cause individuals choose to clarify why they’ve obtained the COVID booster and the flu shot is to guard themselves in opposition to catching that sickness (82% and 78%, respectively).
Extra individuals report getting the flu shot as a result of they “get it every year” (76%) than those that report getting the COVID booster as a result of they “get one every time a new booster comes out” (51%).
68% know they’ll get a COVID booster and a flu shot in the identical go to to a well being care clinic or pharmacy, unchanged from October 2023, although there is a vital enhance within the quantity who report that that is undoubtedly true (44%, up from 38% in October 2023).
Supply: Annenberg Public Coverage Heart’s ASAPH survey, November 2024. Credit score: Annenberg Public Coverage Heart
Flu data
Most individuals (80%) know the effectiveness of the seasonal flu shot varies yr to yr.
Though most individuals (69%) see this yr’s flu vaccine as efficient at decreasing the chance of getting the flu (unchanged from October 2023), extra individuals suppose it’s ineffective this fall (20%) than final fall (15%).
The truth is, early stories counsel that this seasonal flu vaccine could also be much less efficient than final yr’s: Based mostly on stories from 5 South American nations, the CDC has stated the effectiveness of the seasonal flu vaccine at reducing the chance of hospitalization amongst high-risk teams seems to be 35%, decrease than the 51.9% seen in these nations final flu season, in line with WebMD.
69% know that there’s worth in getting a flu shot after November, however 19% are uncertain.
Most individuals (80%) know it’s potential to unfold the flu to others even if in case you have no signs, up from 76% in January of 2023. (The CDC says that some “people can be infected with influenza viruses and have no symptoms but may still be able to spread the virus to their close contacts.”)
Most (71%) know that the flu shot is the very best protection in opposition to seasonal flu.
Nevertheless, solely 42% consider that everybody 6 months of age and older ought to get a flu shot, unchanged from final yr.
Beliefs in vaccine effectiveness and security
Longstanding vaccines such because the MMR, polio, and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccines are often top-rated by the general public in effectiveness, security, and in suggestions that others get the vaccines. Newer vaccines such because the COVID-19 vaccine or these for which public well being recommendation has lately modified—such because the CDC advice that adults 50 and older get a vaccine in opposition to pneumonia—are much less acquainted and infrequently lower-rated by the general public.
Recommending vaccines
Listed below are the general public’s views on recommending vaccines to others:
MMR vaccine: 90% can be prone to suggest an MMR vaccine for a kid of their family who’s both between the ages of 12-15 months or 4 to six years previous.
Polio vaccine: 88% can be prone to suggest a polio vaccine to a toddler of their family of two to six months previous.
Tdap vaccine: 85% can be prone to suggest a Tdap vaccine to a toddler of their family of 11-12 years previous or an grownup of their household.
Shingles vaccine: 82% can be prone to suggest a shingles vaccine to somebody age 50+ of their household.
HPV vaccine: 79% can be prone to suggest an HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine for a kid aged 11 or 12 years previous of their family.
Pneumonia vaccine: 77% can be prone to suggest a pneumonia vaccine to an individual aged 50 or older of their household, down from 84% who have been prone to suggest it to somebody 65 or older of their household in April 2022. The CDC really helpful reducing the age for the vaccine on Oct. 23, 2024, weeks earlier than this survey was fielded.
Vaccine security
Public views on vaccine security:
MMR: 86% say the MMR vaccine is protected, up from 81% in October 2023 (as famous above)
Flu: 83% say the flu vaccine is protected, unchanged
COVID-19: 65% say the COVID-19 vaccine is protected, unchanged from October 2023 however decrease than 73% in August 2022.
Vaccine effectiveness. Public views on vaccine effectiveness are secure apart from RSV, which rose as famous above. The next percentages noticed these vaccines as efficient. Comparisons are to October 2023, if this query was requested then:
MMR: 86% see the vaccine as efficient (unchanged)
Polio: 85%
Tdap: 80%
Flu: 75% (unchanged)
Shingles: 74% (unchanged)
Pneumonia: 71% (unchanged)
HPV: 65% (unchanged)
COVID-19: 65% (unchanged)
RSV for adults 60 and older: 61%, up from 54% in October 2023
RSV for pregnant people: 52%, up from 42% in October 2023
APPC’s Annenberg Science and Public Well being data survey
The survey information come from the twenty second wave of a nationally consultant panel of 1,771 U.S. adults performed for the Annenberg Public Coverage Heart by SSRS, an impartial market analysis firm. Most have been empaneled since April 2021. To account for attrition, small replenishment samples have been added over time utilizing a random chance sampling design. The newest replenishment, in September 2024, added 360 respondents to the pattern.
This wave of the Annenberg Science and Public Well being Data (ASAPH) survey was fielded Nov. 14-24, 2024. The margin of sampling error (MOE) is ± 3.3 share factors on the 95% confidence stage. All figures are rounded to the closest complete quantity and should not add to 100%. Mixed subcategories could not add as much as the totals within the topline and textual content resulting from rounding.
Extra data:
Obtain the topline and the strategies report.
Offered by
Annenberg Public Coverage Heart of the College of Pennsylvania
Quotation:
Public acceptance of RSV vaccine grows as hesitancy plateaus (2024, December 23)
retrieved 23 December 2024
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