Minorities Prefer The Influenza-Covid Combo Vaccine To Covid Vaccine
Nikki Attkisson | Last Updated : January 19, 2022According to new research, the acceptance of an influenza-Covid combo vaccine is more among the minority community when compared to just the Covid vaccine.
Minorities Prefer The Influenza-Covid Combo Vaccine To Covid Vaccine
This is an interesting point as it paves the way for future vaccination programs. By analyzing the behavior pattern of the common public, the government agencies will be able to adopt changes to the vaccination programs in the long run.
There has been a lot of vaccine hesitancy ever since the pandemic started in 2020. Even before the vaccines arrived in the market, people believed that Covid itself was a hoax, and it was created to divert attention from the US elections.
The entire pandemic became a political issue as several people were not in favor of wearing masks and following Covid protocols. Even today, the situation is no different, as many people hesitate to take Covid vaccines due to several misconceptions.
The pandemic has especially had an adverse effect on the minority community in the US as they are often misguided by various beliefs about vaccines. Apart from that, they do not have proper access to medical facilities in some cases, which forces them to stay away from mainstream vaccination programs. When it comes to the number of infections and deaths, it is higher among the minority individuals across the country.
However, the minority individuals have been taking influenza vaccines for many years, and it is not a big problem for the health authorities. If the authorities are able to bring a combination vaccine of both influenza and Covid in one dose, it will boost the confidence of many people, and they may be willing to accept such vaccines. In this manner, the vaccination rate across the country can improve by a considerable margin.
More than 12000 people from the minority community took part in the survey that indicated higher acceptance for a combo vaccine than a single vaccine. The participants were asked about their willingness to take the annual influenza vaccines, and they were also asked about their willingness to take the annual Covid vaccines.
This was done because many experts believe that we may have to take Covid vaccines every year from now onwards as it becomes a part of our environment. Finally, the participants were asked if they were willing to take a combination of influenza and Covid vaccines every year.
In an interesting outcome, more than 45% of the participants were willing to take the Covid vaccine, while more than 58% were ready to take the influenza shots. When it came to the combo vaccine, the acceptance level was about 50%.
Health experts are of the opinion that this may be due to the convenience of getting both vaccines in one attempt. This can certainly motivate more people into taking the Covid vaccines in the near future. As of now, the vaccination rate across the country is very low, and nearly 40% of the entire population still does not have vaccine protection.
People are already aware of the health benefits of influenza shots, and they have been taking them for several years. In this way, the vaccines have built a trust factor among the public. On the other hand, the Covid vaccines are relatively new, and some people are worried about the side effects of these vaccines.
When Covid vaccines are combined with influenza vaccines, it may help the health authorities convince more people to take such vaccines.
In the latest wave of Covid pandemic, most people admitted to hospitals do not have vaccine protection. This should motivate those who have not yet taken vaccines to get some protection by taking Covid vaccines.
With over 15 years as a practicing journalist, Nikki Attkisson found herself at Powdersville Post now after working at several other publications. She is an award-winning journalist with an entrepreneurial spirit and worked as a journalist covering technology, innovation, environmental issues, politics, health etc. Nikki Attkisson has also worked on product development, content strategy, and editorial management for numerous media companies. She began her career at local news stations and worked as a reporter in national newspapers.