By Mike Stobbe
A month after federal officials recommended new versions of COVID-19 vaccines, 7% of U.S. adults and 2% of children have gotten a shot.
One expert called the rates “abysmal.”
The numbers, presented Thursday at a meeting held by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, come from a national survey of thousands of Americans, conducted two weeks ago.
The data also indicated that nearly 40% of adults said they probably or definitely will not get the shot. A similar percentage of parents said they did not plan to vaccinate their children.
In the late summer, government health officials made the nation's COVID-19 vaccination campaign more like the annual flu campaign.
Officials approved updated shots that have a single target, an omicron descendant named XBB.1.5. They replaced vaccines that targeted the original coronavirus strain and a much earlier omicron version. Last month, the CDC recommended the new shots for everyone 6 months and older.
The government also transitioned to a commercialized system that relied on the health-care industry — not the government — to handle the distribution of the shots. Many people who immediately went for shots said pharmacies or doctors didn't have them.
Americans have been urged to get different iterations of the vaccines for more than 2/12 years. This year, COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations fell to lower levels than seen in the previous three years.
Cases remain low compared with the pandemic's early months. Even so, health officials say about 18,000 hospitalization and 1,200 deaths are still being reported each week.
One expert at the meeting, Dr. Camille Kotton of Harvard Medical School, called the numbers “abysmal” and said part of the problem may be patient confusion. She urged stepped-up public education efforts.
Dr. David Kimberlin, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, also expressed dismay.
“The recommendations are not being heard," he said.
Sara Fischer, Media reporter for Axios, discusses how data effects foreign investments in U.S. Technology. Ripple Partners With MoneyGram to Lower Remittance Cost. Turner CEO John Martin gives his take on future of media and TV. Walmart announce it is closing 63 Sam's Club stores across the country. Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon is set to appear next week before the House Intelligence Committee.
"Blue Planet" is the Emmy-Award winning series that looks at life under the deep blue sea. It's back for a new season 17 years after the original aired in 2001. The producers sit down with Alyssa Julya Smith in Los Angeles to talk about the four-year production of the latest installment.
In 1935 L'Oreal developed the first commercial sunscreen product. Now, the beauty company is out with the first battery-free wearable that help will with UV protection. UV Sense could usher in a new wave of preventative sun skincare.
Space Mysteries: the search for Zuma. How DJ Khaled will change Weight Watchers, we're cruising with Volvo Cars at CES. With YourTango, Scientific American, and more.
Conspiracy theories are flying around after reports that a secret government satellite went missing during the most recent SpaceX launch. The Zuma satellite is rumored to be lost in space, but not everyone is convinced that's true.
As officials struggle to fight the opioid epidemic that is plaguing the country, some big cities are considering creating "safe injection" sites. No city has submitted a formal plan, but the idea is already stirring up controversy.
Associate editor at Space.com Sarah Lewin sheds some light on SpaceX's mysterious Sunday night launch and breaks down the fascinating new photos we just got of Jupiter.
The next time you walk into a Sprint store you could be greeted by their newest employee, the humanoid robot "Pepper." Pepper uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to greet customers and work with them throughout their Sprint store experience. Pepper is already in some stores across America.
Divi Coins wants to make their cryptocurrency as convenient and accessible as possible. The Divi Project is a new crypto company that closed their initial coin sale in November. The new crypto is looking to replace exchanges like Paypal or Venmo.
This Changes Things: Advice for the executives and leaders of tomorrow, sponsored by American Express OPEN. On Between Bells: the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show, net neutrality's last stand, and more. With Petco, Curiosity, Daily Kos, Popular Science, and more.
