Bloomberg Last month, I went to a nearby CVS, rolled up my sleeve, and got another Covid shot. Then, I went online to see how many other people did, too. The news was grim: So far, less than 5% of US adults have gotten the latest Covid vaccine. Analysts at Jefferies expect this year’s Covid immunization rate will end up being even lower than last year, when just 23% of Americans got the updated shot. The dismal vaccination rate isn’t shocking. More than four years since the pandemic arrived, many people have vaccine fatigue and may not want to deal with the unpleasant side effects that can come with the shot. That’s despite growing alarm over the potential impact of developing long Covid.
Experts are particularly concerned by signs of apathy among the most vulnerable population. Just under half of US adults aged 50 and older said they were likely to get the new Covid vaccine this fall, according to a recent survey from the University of Michigan.