Fewer kids are vaccinated this year despite ‘super flu’ surging through communities
With flu season raging, US sees major decline in children getting vaccinated
- The current flu season is described as the worst in decades, with at least 18 million Americans infected, 230,000 hospitalized, and 9,300 deaths reported by the CDC.
- Despite the severity of the season, fewer children are receiving the flu vaccine this year, showing a 1.5 percentage point drop compared to the previous year.
- This decline in flu vaccination among children reflects a broader trend of decreasing childhood vaccination rates in recent years.
- Under the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the CDC has reduced the number of vaccines recommended for all children, now advising them only for “high-risk” individuals or after medical consultation.
- Doctors are observing more severe flu symptoms, including prolonged fevers and difficult coughs, which increase the risk of hospitalization, particularly for children and the elderly.