Flu vaccination fee holds regular however misinformation about flu and COVID-19 persists

Though the general public had been alerted that this winter could possibly be a doubtlessly dangerous flu season, barely half of Individuals mentioned in January that that they had obtained a flu shot, a vaccination stage unchanged in a consultant nationwide panel from the comparable interval final 12 months, in response to a brand new Annenberg Science Data (ASK) survey by the Annenberg Public Coverage Middle of the College of Pennsylvania.

The panel survey, fielded with over 1,600 U.S. adults, finds that many have a base of data in regards to the flu however there’s a reservoir of uncertainty about different consequential details about the flu, COVID-19, and vaccination. Among the many findings of the ASK survey, which additionally inquired extra broadly about attitudes towards vaccine mandates and the persevering with “return to regular”:

• Almost half of Individuals (49%) have no idea it’s secure to get a flu shot throughout being pregnant.
• Over half of Individuals (53%) say the Military ought to be capable to require COVID-19 vaccination for troopers who shouldn’t have a medical or non secular exemption—and a plurality (45%) say public colleges ought to be capable to require COVID-19 vaccination of all youngsters who shouldn’t have a medical or non secular exemption.
• Solely 10% of those that had heard of NFL participant Damar Hamlin’s on-field collapse assume that vaccination was related to his cardiac arrest—however many extra will not be positive whether or not the speed of heart-related deaths has elevated amongst younger athletes over the previous three years.
• Greater than half of Individuals (52%) now say their lives have returned to a pre-pandemic regular, up considerably from 47% in October 2022.

“Though the CDC indicated that seasonal flu exercise is now low nationally, the truth that the extent of reported flu vaccination in our panel was roughly the identical in January of this 12 months as a 12 months earlier than is regarding,” mentioned Kathleen Corridor Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Coverage Middle. “As a result of this has been a extra extreme flu season than the one a 12 months in the past, we anticipated a rise within the reported vaccination fee.”

The nationally consultant panel of 1,657 U.S. adults surveyed by SSRS for the Annenberg Public Coverage Middle (APPC) of the College of Pennsylvania from January 10-16, 2023, was the tenth wave of an Annenberg Science Data survey whose respondents have been first empaneled in April 2021. The margin of sampling error (MOE) is ± 3.2 share factors on the 95% confidence stage. See the Appendix and Methodology for query wording and extra data.

What the general public is aware of: The flu and flu shot

The newest wave of the ASK survey finds that many individuals know the fundamentals in regards to the flu:

• Handwashing: 93% of respondents know that washing your arms helps you keep away from getting sick from or spreading the seasonal flu.
• Getting the flu once more: 83% know it is potential to get the flu greater than as soon as in a flu season.
• Vaccine effectiveness: 77% know that the effectiveness of the seasonal flu shot in america can range from 12 months to 12 months.
  • Nonetheless, 19% of respondents additionally assume, incorrectly, that the effectiveness of the measles vaccine can range from 12 months to 12 months and 40% will not be positive.
  • Almost three-quarters of these surveyed (73%) assume the seasonal flu shot is efficient at decreasing the danger of getting the flu this 12 months.
• Masks-wearing: 77% know that sporting a high-quality, well-fitting masks helps restrict the unfold of flu.
• Contagion: 76% know it is potential to unfold the seasonal flu to others even when you’ve got no signs.
  • 14% of our respondents say they’ve had the flu this season. Of this group, 8% had no signs; 29% had delicate signs; 43% had reasonable signs; and 19% had extreme signs.

A majority of the general public is aware of that the next claims are false:

• Flu vaccine and COVID-19: Three-quarters (77%) know it is false to say that the seasonal flu shot will increase your danger of getting COVID-19—although 6% incorrectly assume that is true and 17% will not be positive whether or not it’s true or false. (See APPC’s undertaking FactCheck.org to be taught extra in regards to the false declare linking the flu shot and COVID-19.)
• Higher late than by no means: 71% know it is false to say that if you have not gotten your flu shot by November, there is no worth in getting it—although 11% incorrectly assume that is true and 18% will not be positive. (The CDC recommends vaccination even after November as a result of important flu exercise can proceed into Could.)
• Chilly climate: Almost two-thirds (65%) know it is false to say that chilly climate causes the flu—however a 3rd both incorrectly assume that is true (22%) or will not be positive (13%).
• The flu will be handled: 64% of respondents know it is false to say there isn’t any therapy for the flu—however 23% incorrectly assume that is true and 13% will not be positive whether it is true.

Areas of uncertainty

However there are necessary claims in regards to the flu that substantial elements of the general public are confused about:

• Being pregnant: Nearly half (49%) have no idea that it’s secure to get a flu shot throughout being pregnant, together with the ten% who assume it’s not secure and 39% who’re not sure. Simply 51% know it’s secure.
• Get flu from the shot? 46% have no idea you can not get the flu from the flu shot, together with 29% who assume you may get the flu from the shot and 16% who will not be positive.
• Antibiotics and the flu: 45% have no idea that the flu can’t be handled with antibiotics, together with 25% who assume it may be handled with antibiotics and 20% who’re not sure.
• Antibiotics and viruses: 40% have no idea that antibiotics don’t work on viruses comparable to people who trigger colds, the flu, and COVID-19—together with 20% who assume it’s false to say antibiotics do not work on viruses, and 20% who’re not sure.

Attitudes towards flu vaccination

• Tamiflu: Almost two-thirds of these surveyed (65%) disagree with the assertion that there is no want for a flu shot as a result of they will at all times use Tamiflu to deal with flu signs.
• Breakthrough infections: 58% disagree with the assertion that breakthrough seasonal flu infections are proof that flu photographs do not work—although 15% agree and 26% neither agree nor disagree.
• Hazard to youngsters: 57% disagree with the assertion that youngsters don’t want the seasonal flu shot as a result of they’re at a low danger of dying from the flu—although 18% agree and 25% neither agree nor disagree.
• Flu photographs for all: Simply 41% agree that each individual older than six months ought to get a flu shot yearly—33% disagree and 26% neither agree nor disagree. The CDC recommends a flu shot each season for practically everybody six months and older.

What number of have had a flu shot and why

The ASK survey in January 2023 finds that 49% of respondents say they’ve had a seasonal flu shot, statistically unchanged from 47% in our January 2022 survey and 50% in April 2021. In keeping with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), practically 46% of U.S. adults 18 and older had a flu shot as of December 31, 2022.

The CDC actively promoted flu vaccination amid issues that the 2022-23 season could be extreme.

When the 49% of survey respondents who mentioned they obtained the flu vaccine have been requested in January why they obtained the shot (a number of responses have been permitted):

• 69% mentioned I get it yearly (down from 78% in January 2022)
• 64% mentioned to guard myself in opposition to catching the flu (up from 44% in January 2022)
• 8% mentioned to guard myself in opposition to COVID-19 (unchanged from 9% in January 2022)
• 25% mentioned as a result of it’s endorsed by the CDC (this response was not beforehand supplied)

Considerations: The flu, COVID-19, RSV, polio, myocarditis

Worries about members of the family contracting flu, COVID, or RSV: A couple of third of these surveyed say they’re considerably or very frightened about members of the family contracting COVID-19 (36%), the seasonal flu (35%), or RSV, respiratory syncytial virus (33%). Solely 11% say they’re considerably/very frightened a couple of member of the family contracting polio, which reemerged as a public well being menace in July 2022 after a case was reported in New York State.

Myocarditis: Uncommon circumstances of myocarditis, an irritation of the center muscle, have been reported amongst those that have had mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, notably younger males following a second vaccine dose. The connection between myocarditis and the vaccine has drawn consideration on social media and in information media.

The survey discovered that over a 3rd of respondents (37%) assume that COVID-19 poses a better danger for myocarditis than the vaccine in opposition to COVID-19. However 17% assume that’s false and practically half of these surveyed (47%) will not be positive which poses a better danger.

Damar Hamlin and younger athletes dying of coronary heart issues

A lot of the general public rejects the notion that Damar Hamlin’s collapse throughout an NFL sport had something to do with the vaccine in opposition to COVID-19. However the survey finds that many individuals are unsure in regards to the broader unsupported declare that extra younger athletes are dying of coronary heart issues as of late.

Hamlin, a security on the Buffalo Payments, suffered a cardiac arrest in the course of the Jan. 2, 2023, sport in opposition to the Cincinnati Bengals, triggering a spate of unfounded, anti-vaccine conspiracy theories on social media in regards to the trigger. The overwhelming majority of these in our survey (87%) mentioned that they had heard, learn, or seen stories of his collapse.

However these respondents overwhelmingly reject the concept a COVID-19 vaccine prompted Hamlin’s harm. Solely 10% of those that had heard of the incident attribute it to components related with the vaccine. Almost half (49%) say that primarily based on what that they had heard of it, Hamlin’s cardiac arrest was almost certainly attributable to being hit onerous within the chest; 17% say an underlying coronary heart situation; and 21% say they don’t seem to be positive.

Whereas social media posts with hundreds of thousands of views shortly related Hamlin’s collapse with vaccination, mainstream media sources famous the dearth of proof for such claims or dismissed them as misinformation.

Nonetheless, 26% of these surveyed say they assume that the variety of younger athletes dying of coronary heart issues elevated over the previous three years, and practically half (49%) will not be positive whether or not the quantity has elevated or decreased. Solely 23% say that the numbers of deaths have remained nearly unchanged.

COVID-19 and MMR vaccine mandates

Colleges and navy: The ASK survey finds stronger help for a COVID-19 vaccine mandate within the navy than in public colleges, with over half supporting a navy mandate:

• 53% of these surveyed strongly or considerably agree that the U.S. Military ought to be capable to require COVID-19 vaccination of all troopers who shouldn’t have a medical or non secular exemption and 30% strongly or considerably disagree (requested of a survey half-sample).
• 45% strongly or considerably agree that public colleges ought to be capable to require COVID-19 vaccination of all youngsters who shouldn’t have a medical or non secular exemption and 38% strongly or considerably disagree (requested of a half-sample).

MMR vaccine: Requested their views on the childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), 63% agree that wholesome youngsters ought to be required to get the MMR vaccine so as to attend public colleges, whereas 22% say mother and father ought to be capable to determine whether or not to vaccinate their youngsters who attend public colleges and 15% will not be positive.

Getting again to ‘regular’

The return to regular: Requested after they anticipate to have the ability to return to “your regular, pre-COVID-19 life,” greater than half of Individuals (52%) say they have already got—up from 47% in October 2022. Greater than 1 in 5 Individuals (22%) proceed to say “by no means,” which is statistically unchanged since July 2022.

Masks-wearing: Six in 10 individuals (61%) say they by no means or not often put on masks, statistically unchanged from the 60% who mentioned this in October 2022. And 18% say they at all times or usually put on a masks, additionally statistically unchanged from the 17% who mentioned so in October.

Supplied by
Annenberg Public Coverage Middle of the College of Pennsylvania