CDC reveals 'abysmal' vaccine numbers: Just 7% of adults have received latest booster

In the month following federal recommendations that Americans get updated versions of COVID-19 vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that less than 10% of the country has participated in the ritual.

Statistics were presented at a meeting with the CDC and medical experts, with the numbers representing a national survey of thousands of Americans conducted just a couple weeks before.

PBS reported that just 7% of U.S. adults received the latest booster and only 2% of children. As well, nearly 40% of adults said they would either probably not or definitely not get the latest vaccine. A similar percentage of parents were reported to have no plans to vaccinate their children with the latest booster.

In September 2023, federal authorities recommended that any person over the age of just 6 months old should get the new vaccine.

"We have more tools than ever to prevent the worst outcomes from COVID-19," said the CDC's director, Dr. Mandy Cohen, according NBC News. "CDC is now recommending updated COVID-19 vaccination for everyone six months and older to better protect you and your loved ones," she added.

Dr. Camille Kotton of Harvard Medical School attended the CDC meeting and referred to the vaccination numbers as "abysmal." She cited patient confusion as a possible reason for the low numbers and suggested greater public education efforts.

Dr. David Kimberlin from the University of Alabama at Birmingham simply said that "the recommendations are not being heard."

The latest numbers are down 10 points from the previous booster shot made available in 2022. Just 17% of those eligible received that shot, according to Dr. William Schaffner, infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

CDC numbers backed up the claim, which showed that Texas had the lowest vaccination rate for the previous booster at 3.7%. Mississippi (7.2%), Alabama (8%), and Louisiana (8.1%) followed with the subsequent lowest numbers.

Vermont (35.4%) residents were the most likely to receive the previous booster, followed by Maine (32.2%) and Massachusetts (32%).

At the same time, Boston Children's Hospital vaccine program director Dr. Ofer Levy had recently called the availability of vaccines a "godsend" for vulnerable Americans. He warned the New York Times that tens of thousands die annually from the viral infections.

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