Survey: About 3 in 4 U.S. Adults Likely to Get Flu Shot This Season

TUESDAY, Oct. 13, 2020 -- The COVID-19 pandemic has created urgency around getting this year's flu vaccine, according to a survey released by Walgreens.

Between August 4 and 6, The Harris Poll conducted an online survey of 2,043 U.S. adults on behalf of Walgreens.

The survey revealed that 72 percent of respondents said they probably or definitely will get the flu shot this season, with 32 percent of all respondents stating that they are more likely to get a flu shot this year than in previous years. More than three in five (61 percent) of those who are now more likely to get vaccinated cited the same motivation: wanting to do everything they can to stay healthy during the pandemic. Yet the survey also revealed common misconceptions: Nearly half of those polled (47 percent) do not understand that the flu vaccine cannot help prevent COVID-19. Further, 29 percent said they do not typically get the flu shot because they think they can get the flu despite getting vaccinated.

"While getting the flu shot cannot guarantee you won't get the flu, it does significantly reduce your risk of severe symptoms and being hospitalized, and we want everyone to do their part to help relieve the burden on our health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic," Kevin Ban, M.D., Walgreens chief medical officer, said in a statement.

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Posted: October 2020