Fewer than 1 in 6 healthcare staff received a COVID-19 booster during the 2023 to 2024 respiratory virus season, CDC data shows.
The CDC analyzed vaccination data submitted to its National Healthcare Safety Network on flu and COVID-19 vaccination coverage for healthcare employees working in hospitals between Oct. 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024. The COVID-19 data covers about 8 million healthcare staff working in 4,112 acute care hospitals, while the flu data covers 8.8 million employees in 4,114 hospitals.
Four report findings:
1. Just 15.3% of hospital employees received a COVID-19 booster last virus season, as recommended by CDC.
2. In contrast, nearly 81% of hospital staff received a flu shot last season.
3. Licensed independent practitioners had the lowest flu and COVID-19 vaccination rates, at 65.7% and 12.7%, respectively.
4. Hospitals in 12 states had COVID-19 staff vaccination rates of 20% or higher, while hospitals in 38 states had flu vaccination rates of 75% or higher.
"Influenza vaccination among healthcare personnel has not returned to 2019 levels, and the number of COVID-19 vaccinations has continued to decline each season, underscoring the ongoing challenge of promoting vaccination among healthcare personnel during the postpandemic period," the CDC said. "Studies are needed to identify effective strategies to improve vaccination at a time when healthcare personnel are susceptible to low vaccine confidence."