Only 7% of Adults, 2% of Children in US Have Received New COVID-19 Booster Shots

Nearly 40% of U.S. adults and parents indicate they won't get new COVID-19 boosters targeting the XBB.1.5 Omicron variant, as health experts criticize low uptake rates and call for better public education.

• A month after federal officials recommended new versions of COVID-19 vaccines targeting the XBB.1.5 Omicron variant, only 7% of U.S. adults and 2% of children have gotten a shot.
• The data, collected through a national survey, shows that nearly 40% of adults said they probably or definitely will not get the shot, and a similar percentage of parents are not planning to vaccinate their children.
• Government officials have likened the nation's COVID-19 vaccination campaign to the annual flu campaign, with approved updated shots that target a single variant, replacing previous vaccines aimed at the original coronavirus strain and an earlier omicron variant.
• In a move towards commercialization, the vaccine distribution now relies on the healthcare industry, not the government, leading to reports of shortages at pharmacies and doctor's offices when people went for their shots.
• Despite efforts to encourage vaccinations over the past two plus years and declining COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations, health officials still report about 18,000 hospitalizations and 1,200 deaths per week.

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