Fewer children have gotten a flu shot this season while adult vaccination rates have remained steady, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the CDC, 36.6% of children ages 6 months through 17 years had gotten a flu shot by the end of November, which was down from 43.7% at the same point a year ago.
Juvenile flu vaccine rates have dropped over the last five years. At the same point during the 2019-20 season, 48.4% of children got vaccinated. By the end of the season, vaccination rates reached 62.4%.
Last year, only 53.8% of children ended up getting vaccinated.
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If trends continue, the 2024-25 could be the first time in recent years that youth influenza vaccine rates dip below 50%.
Additionally, the CDC said that 10.3% of children had a parent report they definitely will get their child vaccinated.
While vaccine rates among children have dropped this year, it has remained steady for adults.
As of the end of November 2024, 38.6% of adults had gotten a flu shot. At the same point a year ago, 39.5% of adults had gotten the shot. By the end of the 2023-24 flu season, 48.1% of adults had gotten a flu shot.
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Vaccinations among adults dropped slightly from a high of 50.2% in 2020-21.
Nearly everyone over 6 months of age should get a flu shot, the CDC said. Health officials have said getting vaccinated is especially important for people with chronic health conditions that put them at higher risk for flu-related complications.
