‘On Track’: 3 Percent of Americans Have Gotten New Covid Shot, But CDC Director Remains Confident

By contrast, 33 percent more people have had their flu shot.

By CHELSEA CIRRUZZO
10/24/2023 02:57 PM EDT

The Biden administration’s campaign to convince Americans to get an annual Covid shot is off to a very slow start.

Even so, the nation’s top disease-fighting official says the U.S. remains “on track” to hit last year’s uptake levels, which crested at just 17 percent of the U.S. population. So far, 12 million people, or about 3.6 percent of the population, have gotten the shot in the five weeks since it hit pharmacy shelves — though reporting lags mean it’s likely a bit higher, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Mandy Cohen said.

More people, by far — 16 million — have gotten their annual flu vaccine, Cohen said, attributing the difference to long-held routines. Cohen is in the middle of a national tour promoting vaccination targeting elderly people at most risk from Covid, as well as underserved communities. She’s also meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, including House Republicans who have criticized the agency, as part of her efforts to rebuild trust in the CDC.

She spoke about her pitch in an interview with POLITICO on Tuesday.

The vaccine numbers seem really low — how do you explain them?
What I would say about that number is, just like the process, it’s different [now that insurers are paying for the vaccine rather than the federal government.]
We don’t have the same level of visibility. When you don’t purchase and distribute, you also aren’t getting the same real-time information about who’s vaccinated. The number is really just a number that our pharmacy partners share back with us voluntarily.

Is distribution a problem?
This is the first time the private sector is doing this work. I think they’ve learned some lessons about distribution and demand. After the first couple of weeks, things have really resolved so there are plenty of appointments, plenty of supply.

Is 12 million what you were expecting at this point?
I think we’re on track. Would I love to see more? Of course, that’s my job as CDC director is to want more.

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