You Won't Believe How Many Lives Could Be Saved by These Shocking Vaccination Stats!

As the respiratory virus season unfolds, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has unveiled crucial data regarding vaccination trends among both pediatric and adult populations in the United States. This new report not only highlights the public's uptake of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines but also marks a significant shift in the childhood immunization schedule, which recently saw a reduction from 17 to 11 routine vaccines—a change not seen in decades.

The CDC's findings come at a pivotal time, particularly following last year's decision to remove COVID-19 vaccination recommendations for healthy children and pregnant individuals. Notably, less than half of adults aged 75 and older reported ever receiving an RSV vaccine, with only 42.7% (95% CI, 40.3%-45.1%) confirming receipt. In contrast, the highest rates of vaccination for the 2025-2026 COVID-19 season among adults aged 65 and older were recorded at 34.4% (95% CI, 32.0%-36.8%), while 69.5% (95% CI, 65.8%-73.2%) reported receiving the influenza vaccine. These figures starkly contrast the overall rates among adults aged 18 and older for the same COVID-19 vaccine, which stands at 17.3% (95% CI, 16.5%-18.1%), and influenza vaccination at 45.5% (95% CI, 44.2%-46.8%). For children, the rates are even lower, with only 7.6% (95% CI, 6.9%-8.4%) vaccinated against COVID-19 and 44.2% (95% CI, 42.4%-46.1%) against the flu.

Children's Vaccination Trends

Looking specifically at children aged 6 months to 17 years, the report indicates that only 7.6% have been vaccinated against COVID-19, with an additional 6.5% (95% CI, 4.3%-8.7%) of parents expressing a definitive intention to vaccinate their children. However, data suggest that vaccination rates may not meet expectations; since the end of September 2025, total vaccination rates for children against SARS-CoV-2 have consistently remained at or below figures from previous seasons, fluctuating between 0.9% (95% CI, 0.3%-1.5%) and 6.9% (95% CI, 6.2%-7.6%).

Among adults, the willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine has shifted, with those reporting they will definitely get vaccinated falling from 18.2% to 9.1%. Simultaneously, the number of adults who have actually received the vaccine has increased from 7.7% to 17.3%. This summer's vaccination campaign appears crucial as apprehension continues to linger in the population.

In terms of influenza, after a slow start, there has been a noted increase in vaccination rates among both children and adults since the beginning of the season. As of the week ending October 11, 2025, vaccination rates for children have risen from 20.4% to 44.2%, while adult rates increased from 21.2% to 45.5%. Unfortunately, despite these gains, flu vaccination rates for both demographics still fall short of the Healthy People target of 70%, with current estimates at 42.5% (95% CI, 40.4%-44.7%) for children and 44.1% (95% CI, 41.9%-46.2%) for adults—lower than any flu season since the 2019-2020 season.

RSV Vaccination Insights

The RSV vaccine is now recommended for all adults aged 75 and older, as well as those aged 50 to 74 who are at high risk. Pregnant women are advised to receive a maternal RSV vaccine between 32 and 36 weeks of gestation. The data reveal a steady increase in vaccination rates among adults for RSV, moving from 28.8% (95% CI, 26.0%-31.7%) at the beginning of the season to 32.5% (95% CI, 30.0%-35.0%) by early January 2026. However, the percentage of adults who affirmatively plan to get the vaccine has dropped from 22.1% to 11.4%. Over 16 million RSV vaccine doses have already been administered this season.

Additionally, there are ongoing efforts to vaccinate mothers and infants against RSV, with reported rates showing that among women aged 18 to 49 with infants under 8 months, 16.9% (95% CI, 11.3%-22.5%) would “definitely” have their infant receive an RSV monoclonal antibody.

As these vaccination trends unfold, the importance of timely immunizations cannot be overstated, especially as communities face the dual challenges of respiratory viruses during the season. The CDC's data serves as a vital reminder for families to consider vaccine options in consultation with healthcare providers as they navigate this critical health period.