Minority acceptance of combo flu-COVID vaccine higher than for COVID alone

Acceptance of a combination influenza-COVID-19 vaccine among minority individuals is higher than for the COVID-19 vaccine alone, according to new research led by Penn State. The results suggest that bundling COVID-19 vaccines or boosters with influenza vaccines may be a convenient option to increase future uptake of both vaccines among minorities. “Millions of people in the United States remain unvaccinated to COVID-19 due to persistent vaccine hesitancy,” said Robert Lennon, associate professor of family and community medicine, College of Medicine, Penn State. “As new variants continue to emerge, hospitalizations and deaths will continue to have a disproportionate impact on minority individuals given historic disparities in health care access and quality. It is critical to improve access to and education about vaccines for these individuals.” According to Lennon, some vaccine manufacturers have announced that they are pursuing the development of a combined COVID-19-influenza vaccine. “This is important,” he said, “because our research suggests that...