By Anna Tsioulias
Despite the potentially life-threatening complications of respiratory diseases, fewer than 1 in 5 U.S. adults expressed concern about themselves or a family member contracting influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), COVID-19 and pneumococcal disease this fall and winter, according to a recent National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) survey.
Aimed at assessing current attitudes toward respiratory vaccines, the survey highlights a troubling disconnect between the reality of disease spread and public concern, according to Marla Dalton, PE, CAE, the CEO and executive director of NFID.
“What the data tell us is that we need to increase awareness about how serious respiratory diseases and related complications can be, and how important it is to get vaccinated as recommended to reduce the risk of serious illness,” Ms. Dalton said.
Although two-thirds agreed that the annual flu vaccine is the best way to prevent flu-related hospitalizations and deaths, 17% of adults lack concern about contracting the flu, and nearly half are not planning to or are unsure about getting flu vaccines this year. This discrepancy points toward a gap between acknowledging vaccine effectiveness and recognizing personal risk for infection, Robert H. Hopkins Jr., MD, MACP, FAAP, the medical director of NFID, told Infectious Disease Special Edition.
“Risk perception, particularly perception of personal risk, is not a strength of many in our society,” Dr. Hopkins said. “We need to help the public better understand the linkages between ‘influenza is a serious disease which can be prevented by vaccination’ and ‘you are at high risk because of your age, chronic health condition, pregnancy or other factors.’”
As for COVID-19, the public’s concern about contracting the disease has decreased over time, from 34% in 2022 to 20% in 2024. This mirrors the fact that a staggering 61% of adults are electing to not get, or are unsure about getting, an updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine. Out of the 1,000 randomly selected survey respondents, nearly half of people for whom an RSV vaccine is recommended, as well as nearly half of adults at high risk for pneumococcal disease, do not plan to get vaccinated this season.
Overall, respondents were hesitant about getting multiple vaccinations at the same time, with 61% of adults reporting they would not or were unsure about concurrent flu and COVID-19 vaccines.
The survey, conducted at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, also assessed the reasons for opting out of receiving these vaccinations. Of note, for all four respiratory diseases the survey focused on, the top reason cited was concern about side effects from the vaccine, followed by worries about getting sick from the vaccine and general distrust of vaccines.
Recognizing that healthcare providers remain the most trusted source of vaccine information—with 75% of adults reporting a great deal of trust in doctors, nurses and pharmacists—Dr. Hopkins emphasized the crucial role physicians play in providing consistent vaccine recommendations and reducing vaccine hesitancy.
“As healthcare professionals, we need to make strong vaccine recommendations, and we need to reassure our patients that potential side effects of vaccines are rare and much less severe than the diseases they prevent,” Dr. Hopkins urged.
In addition to the majority greatly trusting healthcare professionals, slightly more than half of U.S. adults expressed confidence in the CDC, as well as their state and local health departments. Continuing to promote awareness about respiratory disease risks and vaccine benefits through public health communication can combat misinformation and promote public health safety, according to Dr. Hopkins.
“I think misinformation and disinformation are major factors in the lack of trust in many aspects of the world of science,” he said. “We need to do a better job of clearly and simply telling the story about the benefits of vaccines, using trusted healthcare messengers and trusted public figures.”
