One month after the recommendation of updated COVID-19 vaccines by federal authorities, 7% of adults and 2% of children in the United States have received the vaccinations.

The figures, revealed on Thursday at a conference hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, were collected from a nationwide poll of numerous American citizens conducted two weeks prior.

The information also showed that about 40% of grown-ups stated they were unlikely or absolutely not going to receive the vaccination. A comparable percentage of guardians reported that they had no intention of vaccinating their kids.

In the latter part of summer, health officials from the government adjusted the country’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts to resemble the yearly flu campaign.

The authorities have given the green light for a revised vaccine that specifically targets a new variant of the omicron strain, called XBB.1.5. This new vaccine has replaced the previous versions that targeted the original coronavirus strain and an earlier version of omicron. In the previous month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised that the updated shots be administered to all individuals aged 6 months and above.

The government shifted to a commercial system in which the healthcare industry, rather than the government, was responsible for distributing the shots. Some individuals who sought vaccines right away found that pharmacies and doctors did not have them available.

For over 2 and a half years, there has been a call for Americans to receive various versions of the vaccine. This year, the rates of COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations have decreased to levels lower than those observed in the past three years.

The number of cases continues to be lower compared to the initial months of the pandemic. However, health authorities state that there are still around 18,000 hospitalizations and 1,200 deaths reported each week.

During the meeting, Dr. Camille Kotton from Harvard Medical School expressed her concern about the low numbers and suggested that patient confusion may be a contributing factor. She recommended increasing public education initiatives.

Dr. David Kimberlin from the University of Alabama at Birmingham also shared his disappointment.

He stated that the suggestions are not being taken into consideration.