Less Than Half Of Health Care Workers Received An Updated COVID-19 Vaccine: CDC
Posted For: stormykitteh
A new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that only a minority of health care workers received an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
According to CDC researchers, just 40.2 percent of health care personnel surveyed said they got a COVID-19 shot between fall 2024 and early 2025. By comparison, influenza vaccination rates were higher, at 76.3 percent.
The online survey was conducted from March 26 to April 17, 2025, after the 2024–2025 respiratory virus season, which runs from fall through the following spring. Around 2,650 health care workers responded.
At the time of the survey, the CDC recommended both influenza and COVID-19 vaccines for nearly all Americans aged 6 months and older, regardless of prior doses. More recent CDC guidance has narrowed those recommendations based on factors like uncertain risk-benefit profiles. A federal judge blocked the updated guidance in March.
The survey found that COVID-19 vaccination among health care workers rose from 31.3 percent in the previous season, while influenza vaccination remained relatively steady but below pre-pandemic levels. The CDC suggested that the earlier availability of the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine may have contributed to the increase.
Vaccination rates varied by age: workers aged 18 to 29 were most likely to get a COVID-19 shot, while those 60 and older were more likely to get the flu vaccine.
Employer requirements also played a role. Nearly 40 percent of employers required influenza vaccination, and about 14 percent required COVID-19 vaccination. Health care workers whose employers mandated vaccines were far more likely to be vaccinated: 83 percent for COVID-19 versus 46 percent when vaccination was recommended, and only 19 percent when there was no recommendation or requirement.
The CDC said the findings could guide strategies to increase vaccination coverage, reduce influenza cases among health care workers and patients, and lessen strain on the health care system. Promoting vaccination in workplaces was highlighted as an effective approach.
Past surveys have shown that health care workers who decline vaccines often cite concerns about side effects and express distrust in health authorities.
The CDC published the study in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which aligns reports with CDC policy but typically does not use traditional peer review. Limitations of the survey include self-reported vaccination status that was not independently verified. The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
About Post Author
