The latest survey, carried out by Mount Sinai South Nassau, finds that the overwhelming number of Long Islanders have not gotten the updated COVID-19 vaccine and are not planning in getting it.
The survey of 600 people from Long Island and New York City showed that only 39 percent are planning to get the updated shot. Of those respondents, at least 75 percent have in the past received one vaccine and 76 percent gotten at least one booster. 24 percent of the respondents say they don’t think they need it.
Dr. Adhi Sharma, President, Mount Sinai South Nassau, says, “Unfortunately, the vaccine has become a political issue for some, and that may be having an impact on the willingness of area residents to get the updated vaccine.”
He adds, “But this is about science, not politics. And the science is clear. Both the updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines help keep people out of the hospital and save lives.”
Another issue that may be leading people to skip this latest COVID-19 shot is vaccine fatigue.
While more than half of respondents said their children have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine since it became available, only 29 percent of the parents polled said they are planning to have their children get the updated vaccine.
The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the updated vaccine last month for everyone six months of age and older.
The latest COVID-19 vaccine shot is a new version of the vaccine that targets a specific variant of the coronavirus called XBB.1.5, which is highly contagious and widely circulating in the US.
Long Island is not alone in the low uptake, nationally it is even lower. According to a national survey conducted in October 2023, only 7% of U.S. adults and 2% of children have gotten the new shot. Many people said they did not plan to get the shot or faced difficulties in finding it at pharmacies or doctors’ offices.
Experts have called the vaccination rates “abysmal” and urged more public education and awareness campaigns to increase the demand for the new shot. The new shot is important to protect against severe illness and death from COVID-19, especially as the virus season looms and cases remain high in some areas.
