(LEX 18) — Doctors are urging more Americans to get vaccinated against Covid and flu ahead of the holidays. Rates for both shots are low so far this season, according to new CDC data.
Dr. Elizabeth Hawse with Commonwealth Pediatrics is one of the physicians keeping an eye on vaccination rates.
"The goal is to keep you out of the hospital and from having severe illness," she told LEX 18.
According to the new CDC report out this week, more than 1/3 of U.S. adults had received the flu shot as of November 9th.
Nearly 18% had received the new Covid vaccine.
In Kentucky, the Covid vaccination rate is lower, at 14.7%.
These rates are similar to 2023, but doctors want to see them much higher.
"The more of us are vaccinated, the less these little outbreaks have a chance to take hold," Dr. Hawse said.
She explained that rising vaccine hesitancy is playing a role in more Americans opting out of Covid and flu shots.
"There's a lot of disinformation and misinformation, and I think there's a lot of demonization in vaccines," she said.
Dr. Hawse also cites so-called vaccine fatigue.
"I think some of it is our own mental health surrounding the pandemic and not wanting to talk or think about anything associated with that," she said. "Sometimes people do have vaccine fatigue, and that is normal. But the flu is a virus, it does not have feelings. Covid's a virus; it does not have feelings."
The CDC recommends Covid and flu shots for everyone six months and older. You can also receive both at the same time.
