Survey finds most U.S. adults don’t plan to get fall vaccines

False claims spread online about routine and HPV vaccines while regional discussions focused on a rare rabies death and a non-infectious vaccine strain measles case.

A new survey found widespread apathy and hesitancy about respiratory diseases and fall vaccines among U.S. adults, with less than 40 percent planning to get vaccinated. Meanwhile, a controversial U.S. senator hosted a misinformation-laden health panel, and myths about HPV vaccine safety continue to circulate online.

On a more local level, a non-infectious measles case linked to the vaccine, a rare rabies death, and encouragement to get the shingles vaccine if eligible dominated regional conversations.

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What’s trending nationally in vaccine conversation:

A recent National Foundation for Infectious Diseases survey revealed hesitance, distrust, and safety concerns about respiratory disease vaccines. The survey found that while two-thirds of U.S. adults know that flu vaccination is the best protection against the flu, less than half actually plan to get the flu vaccine. Only one in four respondents said that they definitely planned to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine. Among eligible respondents, 38 percent said they planned to get an RSV vaccination, and 44 percent said they planned to get a pneumococcal vaccine. Less than one in five expressed concern about any respiratory infections, although concern about infections and willingness to get vaccinated was higher among those who were at higher risk. The most common reasons for not getting vaccinated were safety concerns, general vaccine distrust, and the belief that vaccines are ineffective. Several social media users blamed poor communication from public health leaders for the declining interest and trust in disease mitigation efforts.

On September 23, a senator with a history of promoting false claims about vaccines hosted a roundtable about health issues affecting people in the U.S. The event featured individuals who are best known as purveyors of health disinformation and conspiracy theories. A clip from the roundtable that is gaining online traction claims that people in the U.S. are being poisoned by toxins in everyday products, questions the number of vaccines that children receive, and accuses public health entities that recommend vaccines of being influenced by pharmaceutical companies. The event also featured former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who said that a second Trump presidency would fight chronic disease by removing “chemicals” from food and so-called chemtrails. 

Several trending posts are recirculating a January 2024 study that found that HPV vaccination in Scotland reduced cervical cancer cases to zero among women who received the vaccines before age 14. Although most posts celebrated the results, some repeated debunked myths about the HPV vaccine, including false claims that the vaccine is linked to cancer, infertility, and death. Some Spanish-language posts also falsely claimed that the HPV vaccine wasn’t properly tested in clinical trials.

Read the fact checks: 

• CDC: Immunizations for Respiratory Viruses Prevention 
• Public Good News: Everything you need to know about the HPV vaccine
• Genetic Literacy Project: If you want to understand how pervasive medical disinformation in the U.S. is, check out this circus organized by GOP Senator Ron Johnson 

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What’s happening in the Northeast:

In May 2023, a child in Maine tested positive for measles with no known exposure to the virus. Health officials eventually determined that the case was a rare instance of vaccine strain measles, which can occur when the weakened form of the virus in the measles vaccine replicates. Critically, vaccine strain measles is not contagious, so it can’t spread from person to person or cause an outbreak, and it doesn’t cause severe symptoms or complications that are associated with a true measles infection. On September 24, an anti-vaccine group published a post falsely claiming that the measles vaccine caused an “outbreak” in Maine. Vaccine opponents are circulating the post, accusing the Maine health officials of lying to the public and touting supplements as a safe “alternative” to measles vaccines.

What’s happening in the South:

A U.S. congressperson representing Arizona introduced a bill to strip vaccine manufacturers of liability protections. A Georgia-based health freedom group lauded the proposed law on social media, thanking the bill’s co-sponsors and urging Georgia representatives to follow suit. Many commenters claim that the bill will help “Make America Healthy Again,” but others were skeptical that the bill would pass due to “Big Pharma” influence.

What’s happening in the Midwest:

On September 27, the Minnesota Department of Health reported that a resident over the age of 65 died from rabies after exposure to a bat in July. The death is rare, as fewer than 10 rabies deaths are reported annually in the U.S. Health officials say that there is not an ongoing public health risk. Some social media users speculated that cost may have delayed the victim’s access to the rabies vaccine, which is given after potential rabies exposure. Several comments revealed confusion about how rabies is transmitted and when the vaccination is recommended.

What’s happening in the West:

On September 27, a social media user in Tucson, Arizona, kicked off a lively conversation about shingles vaccination, inviting people to share their experiences with the disease. Many people who have had shingles encouraged others to get vaccinated if they are eligible. The thread may have been triggered by a September 24 Washington Post article about shingles vaccination that was shared a few dozen times in the region and was republished by local media outlets.

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Talking points for public health professionals 

Each week, the Infodemiology.com team will provide messaging recommendations in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. Use these helpful tips when creating content, updating web pages and FAQs, and to inform strategy for messaging about vaccines.

The survey underscores how widespread vaccine hesitancy is and how false and misleading claims about vaccines can influence health decisions. Talking points may highlight that safe and effective updated vaccines are available this fall against flu and COVID-19 for people 6 months and older as well as RSV and pneumonia vaccines for those who are eligible. Messaging may emphasize that these vaccines are the best protection against potentially serious diseases and can be safely administered at the same time with the approval of a health care provider. 

Misleading claims about the number of vaccines children receive are designed to incite an emotional response and sow distrust in established public health efforts. Debunking messaging may explain that children receive more vaccines now than decades ago because new, effective vaccines have been developed to protect against potentially deadly diseases. For the same reason, children in the 1970s received more vaccines than children in the 1940s. Talking points may emphasize that routine childhood vaccines are rigorously tested and monitored for safety for as long as they are in use. Messaging may also highlight how illogical it is to argue that the health of children in the U.S. is uniquely affected by the same vaccines that are administered in the same dosage and frequency to children around the world.

Vaccine opponents have circulated myths about the safety and effectiveness of the HPV vaccine since its introduction in 2006. Debunking messaging may explain that hundreds of millions of doses of the vaccine have been administered globally with no serious safety concerns. Messaging may also emphasize that data from multiple countries show a decrease in cervical cancer rates in HPV-vaccinated populations, putting some countries on track to eliminate the disease. Talking points may also emphasize that there is no evidence linking the HPV vaccine to an increased risk of infertility, cancer, or death and that the vaccine protects against multiple types of cancer, including several that can cause infertility.

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