- Uptake rates for coronavirus vaccines have been slow, and vaccine manufacturers and medical experts believe vaccination rates from 2024 onwards are likely to be similar to this year’s latest vaccination rates.
- The bigger uncertainty seems to be whether interest rates are likely to rise in the future and what will cause more people to roll up their sleeves.
- Experts and vaccine manufacturers agree that low vaccination rates put more people at risk of severe COVID-19 infection.
A sign advertising COVID-19 vaccinations at a Walgreens pharmacy in Somerville, Massachusetts, on August 14, 2023.
brian snyder reuter
Three years have passed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are fewer Americans People are rolling up their sleeves to get the coronavirus vaccine.
only 15.7% of US adults As of November 18, he had received the latest coronavirus vaccinations from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax, according to . Latest data From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some of these jabs won his approval in mid-September and are designed to target the Ormicron subvariant XBB.1.5.
“The bottom line is this: COVID-19 vaccine uptake is lower than we would like, and most people have access to additional precautions that can reduce the severity of COVID-19. “This means that the patient will not be able to do so,” the CDC wrote in the paper. update on that website last week.
Some vaccine makers and medical experts say the U.S. coronavirus vaccination rate after 2024 will likely be similar to the modest rate of vaccination for the latest round of shots this fall and winter. thinking.
The bigger uncertainty seems to be whether interest rates are likely to rise in the future and what will cause more people to roll up their sleeves.
Some experts are hopeful that new, more convenient shots that target multiple respiratory viruses could speed up COVID-19 vaccinations. But others are more skeptical about whether these combination jabs make a difference.
Experts and vaccine makers would agree that low vaccination rates for the coronavirus are a concern, even if people are infected with the virus. waste away From the height of the pandemic.
Vaccines remain a critical tool to protect people from death and hospitalization from the coronavirus, which is claiming American lives every day. Fewer jabs could leave many people more susceptible to serious infections, especially older people and people with underlying health conditions.
He added that lower vaccination rates are also reducing the U.S.’s preparedness if more worrisome new virus variants emerge and cases and hospitalizations spike again. Dr. Ali Mokdadan epidemiologist and chief strategy officer for population health at the University of Washington.
The amount of vaccination for the new coronavirus infection is first vaccine Countermeasures against the virus were rolled out in late 2020, and as the number of infections skyrocketed, Americans felt even more urgency to protect themselves.
Nearly half of adults who were previously vaccinated this year said a lack of fear about coronavirus was the reason they wouldn’t get a new vaccine, and a quarter said it was the reason they wouldn’t get a new vaccine, according to a survey report. answered that it was the “main reason” poll The medical policy research group KFF announced this earlier this month.
This reasoning reflects multiple factors. First, Mokdad said the United States hasn’t seen a huge spike in coronavirus infections this year, especially compared to years before the pandemic.
He added that people have high immunity from previous vaccinations and infections, which can prevent them from getting seriously ill from the virus. data In addition, the Micron variant strain, which is the main new coronavirus strain circulating in the United States, not that serious than some There are also earlier variants, Mokdad added.
“People say, ‘Okay, it didn’t hurt me much, so why should I go get the vaccine?'” Mokdad says.
Pfizer’s new vaccine COMIRNATY® (Covid-19 vaccine, mRNA) is available at CVS Pharmacy in Eagle Rock, California.
Irrfan Khan | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Nearly four in 10 adults say they are too busy to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to a KFF poll.
Some Americans may not be used to treating annual coronavirus vaccinations as a “routine health activity,” the magazine said. jennifer catesSenior Vice President of KFF.
He added that some people may not have prioritized getting a coronavirus vaccine because they are confused about their risk level or whether they would personally benefit from different boosters. Dr. Brad PollockDean of the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of California, Davis.
Additionally, some Americans may never get a coronavirus vaccine because they remain skeptical about its safety and effectiveness.
Political polarization exacerbated the effect: The Republican Party grew. become increasingly hostile Stirring up conspiracy theories in preparation for the shooting, false information About vaccinations.
Only 23% of Republicans responding to the KFF poll said they have gotten or plan to get a coronavirus vaccine this fall or winter, compared to 40% of independents. , 74% supported the Democratic Party.
He said the lack of urgency surrounding the coronavirus could weigh on its uptake in the coming years. Dr. Nicole Iovinethe hospital’s chief epidemiologist and infectious disease physician at the University of Florida.
However, he noted that people who received the coronavirus vaccine this fall are likely to receive repeated shots in the future. “There’s definitely a core of people who are always going to get the vaccine,” Iovine said.
Michael Yee, an analyst at Jefferies, specifically noted that it would be “reasonable” for patients who are at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and are willing to get vaccinated to get vaccinated annually.
Many coronavirus vaccine makers envision that vaccinations in 2024 and beyond could be similar to what the U.S. is seeing this fall and winter.
“We assume that the situation will be the same for the next few years, including coronavirus fatigue and the rate of opposition to vaccination,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a conference call. It will continue next year.” With investors in mid-October. “I think that’s a pretty safe assumption.”
Similarly, Moderna assumes that everyone who received the COVID-19 booster in 2023 will receive a COVID-19 vaccine “at least” in 2024 or later, Moderna Chief Commercial Officer Alpa・Mr. Garai stated at the company’s press conference. Third quarter financial results briefing last month. Garay also said the company expects to vaccinate about 50 million Americans with the new vaccine between September and December of this year.
Novavax Chief Operating Officer John Trizzino told CNBC there is “logic and reality” to the outlook for Pfizer and Moderna. But he said 2023 is not “100% indicative” of what vaccination rates will be in the future, especially since this year’s rollout was an “adjustment period” to the commercial market with delays in distribution. Stated.
Trizzino also talked about combination shots that target the coronavirus and other viruses. One from Novavaxlikely to hit the market within a few years and could increase COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States.
Pfizer, Moderna and some experts agree that a combination vaccine could increase COVID-19 vaccination rates by making it more convenient for patients and health care workers.
“I think it will actually help. More Americans get the combination flu and COVID-19 vaccine, and then it’s much easier from a convenience standpoint for everyone, not just the technicians, so it’s time-consuming.” “The number of people receiving the COVID-19 vaccine should increase over time,” said Jamie Mock, Moderna’s chief financial officer. interview Early this month.
But other experts are more skeptical about whether these jabs will have a noticeable effect.
All three companies are developing vaccines for various combinations of coronavirus, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus, which collectively strained the U.S. health care system last winter and will continue to do so. may continue. peak at approximately the same time Every year.
Both companies announced positive data in mid-stage trials for some of their combination shots this year, and are hopeful their jabs will win approval from U.S. regulators in 2025 and 2026.
Vaccine bottles at the clinic.
Angelp | iStock | Getty Images
Mixed jabs are not new. Pediatric vaccines have long been mixed to eliminate additional visits to the hospital and reduce the number of injections a patient needs to receive during a visit. Andrew Pekosch, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said this approach could reduce missed vaccinations and increase vaccination rates for targeted diseases.
Other studies have claimed that combination jabs specifically targeting coronavirus and influenza could increase uptake of Covid-19 vaccinations. fall behind This year’s influenza vaccination prevalence rate.
According to a 2023 report, the number of people who are accustomed to receiving influenza vaccines is increasing every year, and they believe that “combined vaccines targeting the new coronavirus and influenza would be easier to replicate such health measures.” You might feel it.” study We analyzed 30 different papers on vaccine approaches.
But the University of Florida’s Iovine doesn’t think combination vaccination will have a big impact on COVID-19 vaccination rates.
The jab may be appealing to those who are already taking shots or those who are about to take shots. Even more convenient vaccination options may do little to change the minds of people who avoid coronavirus vaccines for reasons such as skepticism or concerns about their safety or effectiveness.
Jefferies analyst Yee similarly doesn’t think “convenience benefits will be a differentiating factor” in deciding whether to get a coronavirus vaccine, arguing that a combination vaccine “will likely increase uptake rates.” This is why there is no possibility of making major changes, he said.
He added that some people are concerned that the combination vaccine may cause more side effects than either shot alone. Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax have not noted any significant differences in side effects between their combination vaccines and existing vaccines, but more data is needed.
If combination vaccines are ineffective, it’s unclear what else might boost uptake of new vaccines.
Iovine said people could feel more urgent to get vaccinated if new, more concerning coronavirus variants emerge and another wave of infections spreads. But Iovine said that even during past coronavirus outbreaks, the country “didn’t see significant vaccine uptake.”
Pharmacist Aaron Sun administered Pfizer’s new vaccine COMIRNATY® (COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA) to John Vuitch at CVS Pharmacy in Eagle Rock, California.
Irrfan Khan | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Meanwhile, KFF’s Kates said public health officials and medical workers would increase vaccinations if they clearly communicated that COVID-19 vaccinations are likely to become “a routine part of health care.” He said it was possible.
FDA and CDC I would like to migrate This means people will receive one jab each year, updated annually to cover the latest variants expected to be prevalent in the autumn and winter.
But FDA advisers have expressed concern about moving to an annual coronavirus vaccine, noting it’s unclear whether the virus is seasonal like the flu. Cates added that “it’s going to take time” for a more annual approach to coronavirus vaccination to settle in the minds of Americans.
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