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Poll Shows 11% of Patients Did Not Plan on Getting 2024-2025 Respiratory Vaccination
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Key Takeaways
- Only 26% received the RSV vaccine, while 66% received the COVID-19 vaccine in the 2024-2025 season.
- Misinformation, mistrust, and access barriers contribute to vaccine hesitancy, especially among chronic disease patients.
Approximately 66% of patients received a COVID-19 vaccine in the fall of 2024 and only 26% received a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine.
A poll of vaccine hesitancy showed that 66% of patients received their COVID-19 vaccine and only 26% received their respiratory syntactical virus vaccine in the 2024-2025 season. The survey of 1600 participants was conducted by the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF) in December 2024.1,2
RSV, COVID-19, Flu, Immunization, Pharmacy | Image Credit: Aron M - Austria | stock.adobe.com
Additionally, 76% of individuals said they received their influenza vaccine in the 2024-2025 season. However, 11% said they did not plan on getting vaccinated.1
“The data is alarming,” Robert Popovian, PharmD, MS, founder of Conquest Advisors and chief science policy officer at GHLF, said in a news release. “Around 10% to 11% of patients with chronic diseases engaged with GHLF have decided against getting immunized. This is especially concerning for patient populations that are already vulnerable. The survey results highlight significant issues such as misinformation, mistrust in health care systems, and barriers to access that need to be addressed.”2
The majority (85%) of participants responded that they feel positive about vaccines, with 50% saying they feel good about all vaccines and 25% saying they feel positive with most vaccines. Approximately 10% said they felt neutral, positive, or negative about a few vaccines and 4% said they feel negative about most or all vaccines.1
The top reasons to trust vaccines included protection from illness, proven success, scientific support, and saving lives. For those who responded negatively, the most common reasons for hesitancy include bad reactions to previous vaccines, distrust of the industry, and concerns about research.1
Further, 89% of individuals said they go to a health care professional, such as physicians and pharmacists, for vaccine-related information, and 62% go to trusted sources, such as the CDC, World Health organization, and FDA. Approximately 10% rely on news outlets, and 2% rely on various social media platforms. Additionally, approximately 54% shared concerns over future access to vaccines, with only 35% saying they feel positive about access to immunization services.1,2
“The silver lining is clear,” Seth Ginsberg, president and co-founder of GHLF, said in the news release. “Health care providers are still the most trusted source of vaccine information, which presents a critical opportunity for us to provide credible, accessible, and understandable information to patients.”2
Barriers to access can go beyond physical barriers. They can include knowledge, psychological, and socioeconomic barriers at various levels—including individual, organizational, and systemic. Health care providers need to understand the barriers on a deeper level in order to properly communicate with patients who may be vaccine hesitant, and they should continue to address social disparities and build trust in pharmaceuticals and immunizations.3
“The CDC recently reported a spike in respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19, RSV, and the flu, with rising hospitalizations and emergency room visits,” Popovian said. “The data is clear: vaccines save lives. We put vulnerable individuals at even greater risk by raising doubts and hesitating to get vaccinated, especially among the populations we serve. We must continue to advocate for vaccine access and education.”2
