Better
patient education, public health messaging, and empathy are key to address
limited engagement with preventive care.
By Sara Heath
December 09, 2019
- Fifty-six percent of US adults still have not received their flu
vaccines, with a total of 37 percent saying they have no plans to receive
the essential preventive care ahead of peak season, according to survey data from NORC at the University of
Chicago.
The survey,
administered using NORC’s AmeriSpeak Spotlight on Health surveying tool, also
revealed that 18 percent of adults had not yet received a flu shot but were
planning on doing so soon.
This data comes as
industry experts battle anti-vaccination sentiment and work to underscore the
importance of vaccines as essential preventive medicine.
“The CDC reports this year’s flu season is off
to an early start in most states and has already claimed numerous lives,” said
Caroline Pearson, senior vice president at NORC at the University of Chicago.
“This year’s vaccine appears well matched against the current strains, and
widespread vaccination remains our best defense against this sometimes deadly
virus.”
Although adults over
age 60 – arguably the highest-risk patient population – have the highest flu
vaccine rate this season, one in five still say they do not plan on receiving
the vaccination.
Only 34 percent of
adults ages 45 to 59 said they have received the flu shot, the lowest rate
among all adults surveyed. Forty-seven percent of individuals in that age
bracket said they have no plans to receive a flu shot.
Forty-three percent
of adults living with children said they do not plan on getting those children
vaccinated.
Overwhelmingly,
misinformation and misconceptions about the flu shot are major reasons keeping
individuals from accessing preventive care, the survey revealed. Thirty-seven
percent of respondents said they are concerned about side effects from the
vaccine, and 22 percent said they were afraid they would contract the flu from
the vaccine.
Other patients
questioned the efficacy of the vaccine. Thirty-six percent said they do not
believe the flu vaccine works very well. Meanwhile, 26 percent of respondents
maintain they never get the flu and 20 percent said they don’t think it is likely
they will get sick from the flu.
A few patients – 16
percent – cite a fear of needles or shots as a major reason why they do not
want to get a flu shot.
More patients cite
the above-mentioned misconceptions as at least minor reasons why they do not want
to get a flu shot.
These survey results
suggest a need for better public health and patient education about the
necessity of vaccinations.
“Widespread
misconceptions exist regarding the safety and efficacy of flu shots,” said
Caitlin Oppenheimer, senior vice president of Public Health Research at NORC at
the University of Chicago. “Because of the way the flu spreads in a community,
failing to get a vaccination not only puts you at risk but also others for whom
the consequences of the flu can be severe. Policymakers should focus on
changing erroneous beliefs about immunizing against the flu.”
Public health and
medical experts across the country have been combatting anti-vaccination
sentiment for some time now, and flu shots are just the start of it. Vaccine
hesitancy has spread to other types of preventive care, including measles and
polio vaccines.
Childhood vaccination
for these once-deadly diseases is a requirement in nearly every state, but some
states offer flexibilities that make it easier for families to opt out of
vaccination. As of June 2019, 45 states plus the District of Columbia allowed for religious exemptions,
while 15 allowed for philosophical exemptions from vaccines.
And as a result,
vaccination rates have plummeted and hot spots for disease outbreaks have begun
to crop up in some regions.
While receiving a flu
vaccine is an opt-in preventive measure, the CDC strongly recommends it for any
individual over six months and who does not have other medical complications
prohibiting receipt of the shot.
Discussing
vaccinations – whether it be for polio or the chickenpox – requires a high
level of provider empathy. Understanding patient
fears about a vaccine will help a provider target better education about
prevention and meet patients where they are.
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