2020 to 2024 Saw Drop in Flu Vaccine Uptake Among U.S. Adults
Decline in Flu Vaccine Coverage: 2020–2024
In the 2020–2021 flu season, approximately 50% of U.S. adults received at least one dose of the influenza vaccine, marking a modest increase from the previous year. This uptick was likely driven by heightened awareness of respiratory illnesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, since then, flu vaccination rates among adults have declined. By the 2023–2024 flu season, uptake had fallen to about 47%, signaling a troubling trend away from annual flu protection.
This decline was especially stark in certain population segments. Young adults aged 18 to 29 had the lowest vaccination rates, with only about 32% getting vaccinated in the 2023–24 season. Older adults, particularly those aged 65 and older, maintained relatively high coverage—around 69.7%—but still short of the 70% goal set by Healthy People 2030. Pregnant individuals experienced one of the most dramatic drops: from approximately 53% in late 2020 to just 36% by the end of 2023.