Taking a ‘shot’ at the unvaccinated

Sure, a growing number of patients have either already received or plan to receive a flu shot this year compared to one year ago. According to an online survey of more than 900 AccentHealth viewers conducted in September, 57% of patients have received or plan to receive a flu shot this year versus 53% in 2011.

But there is still plenty of room for improvement. The glass-half-empty view focuses on the more than 40% of patients that won’t get a flu shot this year; a recent online survey conducted by CVS Caremark suggests this group could be as high as 51%. “Those who do not receive the flu shot most often indicate that it is unnecessary and/or due to side effects or the fear of side effects caused by the vaccine,” Hill explained.

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Source: AccentHealth. To view the demographic breakdown of participants, click here.